All Bonds of Fellowship
by UnlimitedShadow
Summary: (Sequel to "Castaways" and "Melamar") One year after their abrupt departure, Maggie and Riley are back in Middle-Earth and war is beckoning! Although this time, they're not alone and things have changed. Riley and Maggie are no longer close as they used to be. Theo is now a grown man. How will their arrival affect the fellowship?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **The Lord of the Rings trilogy is owned by the brilliant J.R.R Tolkien and anything movieverse is owned by the also fantastic Peter Jackson. Anything you don't recognise is mine.

**Summary: **(Sequel to "Castaways" and "Melamar") One year after their abrupt departure, Maggie and Riley are back in Middle-Earth and war is beckoning! Although this time, they're not alone and things have changed. Riley and Maggie are no longer close. And how will Theo, now a grown man, react to the sudden return of his mother? Will their return to Middle-Earth effect the quest of the Fellowship?

**A/N:** Well here we are again. If you like the adventures of Maggie and Riley, here's another one for you. This takes place during the LOTR and follows the events of "Castaway" and "Melamar". If you're new to this series and simply like additional-walker and MGME fics, you don't really need to have read the prequels to get into this one. As I've mentioned before, this is a rewrite of an old fic from 2012-2013. If you're wondering why I'm able to put them up so quickly, it's because a lot of this is pre-written and I'm filling out the blanks and hopefully making some improvement on what was bloody awful writing. As always, I aim to make my characters as believable and relatable as possible. I try to stray away from Mary-Sues as much as I can.

Anyway, without further ado. Let us begin the journey. This is the big one :)

* * *

**ONE**

One year.

It had been one whole year since Margaret Spencer realised they were no longer in Rivendell. Three-hundred and sixty-five days since she had seen her beautiful baby boy or kissed both of her partners and told them how much she loved them. A whole year since Maggie fell apart and was forced to get used to life in a world she was sure she had left behind for good. She'd been at peace with that choice even though she knew that meant having her friends and mother still on Earth. Perhaps it was a selfish one but Maggie knew her heart and soul belonged in Middle-Earth. After all, it was her father's birthplace and it was equally a part of her. She didn't want Earth to be her home anymore. She had a home in Rivendell and a son who needed her. Theo had already lost his father before he was even born and now he had to grow up without his mother. Maggie knew that Theo had people around him who cared for him and who would raise him as their own son. Fili and Elrond would never let harm come to him and she hoped that no matter what happened, they would tell Theo that she never wanted to leave him.

When Maggie and Riley got back to their world, it turned out their speculations about time were right. They got back to almost exactly the same time and place where they had first disappeared. A stormy night out in a forest in the Brecon Beacons. They made it back to the small holiday cottage they had been renting with their relatives and not a single thing had changed. Their mother, Susan, made a comment about how they'd been a little concerned about their whereabouts because of the weather but then carried on with the rest of the evening as if nothing was different.

Maggie spent that whole night in complete shock, not knowing what to say or how to act around anyone. A part of her wished it was just an incredibly vivid dream and that she would wake up safely in the arms of Fili or Elrond. It was Riley who told his sister that he'd known for some time that they might get sent back. At first, Maggie refused to believe the prophecy and tried arguing that they'd proven that fate could be changed. She wanted to believe it was all a dream, but deep down, she knew it wasn't. So, when she went to bed that night, she cried until exhaustion made her fall asleep.

Eventually, both Maggie and Riley had to get used to living in their world again, without their loved ones. As well as without each other. For the first few weeks, Riley figured his sister just needed some space to process things. During those first few weeks, the reverse culture shock was a real struggle. They were both used to life without modern technology, pollution or other things that made life different from Middle-Earth. Those weeks soon turned into months and Maggie still stayed angry with Riley. No matter how much he tried to reconcile with her and explain his reasoning for keeping the prophecy from her, she wouldn't listen. Instead, Maggie returned to her teaching job, though she did not find the same joy in it as she once had. Riley set to finally complete his PhD in Science Communication but nothing stayed the same.

Riley understood why Maggie was angry and a part of him couldn't blame her. He had purposely withheld information from her and while to Riley, his intentions were good, Maggie thought they were selfish. Perhaps it was a bit of both. He thought that if he ignored the words of the prophecy, both of them could have what they wanted and maybe the Valar would forget their words. Riley could live his life with Bilbo, whether it was in Rivendell or in the Shire.

Maggie could have her life raising Theo with both Elrond and Fili by her side. Either way, one day she would undoubtedly become queens. Perhaps even of both Erebor and Rivendell if Fili ever chose to take his rightful place as king. Of course Riley felt guilt and if he wondered if Gandalf was right and keeping the prophecy from his sister was the wrong choice. Either way, it didn't matter now because he'd made his choice and was forced to live with the consequences of his selfish actions. In the process, he'd lost his sister who by all accounts, was his best friend in the whole world.

It seemed the prophecy also meant that their dad stayed behind in Middle-Earth, which made sense to Riley. Even if bringing people back from the dead wasn't all too unheard of in Middle-Earth, it would be difficult to explain on Earth and not even the Valar had the power to change established timelines in their world because it was not their domain. In some ways, the fact that Amandil was still in Middle-Earth was a relief to Riley because it meant a part of them were still there too. He knew his father would help raise Theo and hopefully keep an eye on Bilbo as well.

The quarrel between Riley and Maggie hadn't gone by unnoticed. Their mum sensed the friction between them and they stayed civil while in her presence. They both loved their mother and didn't want her to suffer on their behalf. Riley foolishly thought his sister would eventually cast her fury aside and bury the hatchet, but Maggie remained angry. Eventually, Riley began to feel annoyed because he had tried everything to make it up to her and it wasn't as if she was the only one suffering. Their friends also noticed the feud and sometimes questioned them about why they were not speaking with each other. However, both Maggie and Riley had a silent agreement to not divulge any information. It wasn't as if anyone would believe them anyway.

Above all, Riley missed Bilbo more than his heart could stand. He kept his wedding ring, of course, although he changed finger so that people would not ask questions. The oldest Spencer would give anything to wake up next to his husband again and to feel his warm breath against his skin, kissing his lips and inhaling his scent. RIley often lay awake at night, wondering how Bilbo was feeling and whatever he must be thinking about their disappearance. Would he ever forgive Riley for just leaving him behind.

Still, in the back of Riley's mind, he couldn't help but to think about one part of the prophecy they had managed to decipher. About five aiding the fight of nine. He guessed what it meant of course. That one day, when the time was right, they would return to Middle-Earth but given how haphazard the Valar were in their decision-making, there was no telling when that might be. Truthfully, Riley was angry with them and even though he wasn't a religious man, there were a few nights when he'd spoken to the skies and cursed in their names. No doubt they heard him, where they resided and still they would not answer.

At least not when you expected it.

* * *

"We're sad you know." Riley sighed "It is a Bank Holiday weekend and practically everyone in town are out getting merry, Meanwhile we are spending out Friday night indoors, doing work and playing a game of Scrabble like a bunch of seniors."

"Correction," said Felix "_You're_ doing work, we're playing scrabble and Nat is out picking up the takeaway."

Riley peered over the Scrabble board and raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "Mate, 'skedaddle' isn't a proper word. How on earth did you get a Uni degree?" Riley sassed. It had started out as a simple friendly game quickly turned competitive, as was always the case between Riley and Felix. It was indeed a Friday night and they were sitting in the lounge of a house owned by Natalie's parents who were away for the weekend.

"It counts as a word if you use it as a word," Felix protested "Speaking of Maggie, are guys still fighting? She has been a lot quieter than usual lately. Any idea why?"

Yeah, Riley did know why but it wasn't exactly something that could just be brought up for discussion.

"Riley? Hello? Earth to Riley?" It was Laura who spoke now and waved her hands in front of their friend who snapped back out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," Riley apologised "I'm sure Maggie's fine."

"You two lately, honestly."

Riley was about to reply when the sound of a door unlocking reached his ears. He assumed it was Natalie coming back with the food, which it was. What he didn't expect was to also see his sister. Maggie seemed just as surprised to see him, because she stood frozen in the doorway just staring and Riley knew at once this whole evening was a set up.

"What's _he _doing here?" Maggie asked sharply.

"_We_ invited him,." Laura replied calmly. "Because this has to stop."

Riley saw Maggie rolling her eyes and pouted, like a small child who had been called out doing something she wasn't supposed to. Riley couldn't say he was impressed by this double cross either and shot Felix an annoyed glance. He knew his friends had the best intentions at heart, but there was no way they would understand what was going on even if they tried explaining it.

"Yeah?" Riley crossed his arms defensively. "I'm not the pigheaded one in this case."

"Oh yeah, you're brother of the year." Maggie spat back.

Riley felt his blood pumping as he grew more annoyed with his sister. His friends were right in one way, this really had gone too long. However, he wasn't going to yield because he was doing nothing wrong. Maggie was the stubborn one in this case.

"Of course, I forgot Margaret Spencer always has to be perfect." Riley said "Everyone else gets the blame while she gets treated like a princess."

"ENOUGH!"

As Natalie bellowed at the top of her lungs, the window outside blew open a window and the electricity flickered. The girls shrieked and Riley saw that even Felix looked a bit nervous.

"When did England turn into Wales?" Nat wondered "It's practically a monsoon out there!"

The five of them; Maggie, Riley, Natalie, Felix and Laura had been friends for a long time; by chance really. Their families knew each other, partly from University, as well as from childhood. Even though they weren't related by blood, Maggie and Riley always saw the other three as family and they'd had a lot of fun together growing up. So much that they even went to the same University even though it was a year or two between them. As teenager, Riley remembered several Lord of the Rings marathons in the attic of his and Maggie's childhood homes. During their time in Middle-Earth, Riley often wished he could have shared it with Felix, Nat and Laura and he hated keeping it a secret from them. There was no doubt in his mind that if he told them, he would be committed immediately.

"Geesh; Loki must've escaped and pissed off Thor." Nat joked but then there was a second squall, much louder and a hell of a lot closer than the previous. Laura counted the seconds and when the next one after that came it was right about them and it cut out all the power in the house. The girls weren't the only ones that screamed because it came so unexpectedly.

"Okay, this cannot be normal." Felix said and Riley had to agree. Then suddenly there it was, as if out of nowhere; a bright white flash of light; which at first he assumed was lightning. Next thing Riley knew he was lying outside somewhere where it was damp and cold. He felt dizzy and somewhat nauseated from the sudden change in scenery.

"Riley will you get your bloody foot out of my face!" (**Natalie**)

"Yeah, I will once someone helps me get the hell off Felix." (**Riley**)

"Let me just get out of this." (**Maggie**)

"Dude, you're fucking heavy!" (**Felix**)

"I'm sorry but you guys aren't the ones with two football players lying all over you." (**Laura**) It took the five of them a good few minutes to get themselves sorted and up on their feet. Riley, Maggie, Felix, Natalie and Laura were all equally dirty and all equally confused as to what had just happened – and so were the four unfamiliar faces staring right back at them.

"I swear, this is a déjà vu all over again." Riley said, mostly to Maggie as he was referring to their arrival in Middle-Earth when he had first encountered Thorin and Company in Trollshaw nearly two years ago.

The first thing Riley noticed was how familiar their surroundings were. There was no doubt in his mind that they were back in Middle-Earth. By the looks of it somewhere on the plains between the Shire and Rivendell. He immediately recognised the terrain from his journey finding the Dunedain rangers.

The second thing Riley noticed, was that they were not alone. There were two men in front of them. Besides the two men, stood three hobbits. All of them staring at the strange group who had appeared seemingly from out of nowhere. One of the men looked familiar with his dark hair and grey eyes. The second man was vaguely familiar but while the other man was human, this one was slightly younger and his ears were a bit more pointed. Riley turned to his sister who just stared in confusion and there was a strange silence between all of them until Maggie spoke.

"Thorin?" she asked quietly

_No, it's not Thorin, _Riley realised as his heart skipped several beats.

"Beg your pardon, my lady?" the young man asked "If you mean Thorin Oakenshield, I am sorry to say that I am not him. I am his son, Theo."

"Holy shit…." Riley whispered

Then, the second man stepped forward and spoke.

"Riley?" he asked and then turned to Maggie. "Maggie?"

* * *

Aragorn thought for a moment that surely his eyes must be deceiving him for the woman and man standing in front of him could surely not be the very same Maggie and Riley who had lived with him in Imladris as a child. Was it really the same woman who had told him bedtime stories of strange lands behind wardrobes? The same Maggie who had fallen in love with his foster father, Lord Elrond and Theo's cousin Fili. Yet his eyes would know their faces anywhere and while long years had passed since he last saw them, they still had not aged a day. Theo had only been a young baby when they disappeared and all his life, Aragorn and their family told him stories about his mother and his uncle. The Ranger couldn't actually believe that Maggie and Riley were standing in front of them after all this time.

"Estel?" Maggie asked a hint of recognition in her voice.

"By the Valar, tell me this isn't some foul trick played on my mind." How could they not have aged a single day while he had grown an old man, now 87 years old?

"Oh my God it is you!" Without a moment's hesitation, Maggie threw her arms around him and Aragorn embraced her heartily. To him, Maggie was equally his family as much as Elladan and Elrohir were his brothers. Aragorn then turned around to Riley whom in his usual manner stood with arms crossed, pretending to be unimpressed.

"What? I'm not getting a hug?" he asked "Dude, I practically babysat you for months."

Aragorn smiled and then greeted him with an equally warm hug. It was good, thought the ranger, to see them again. But then he became curious as to why they were there now.

"I can't believe it's really you and that we're really back?" Then Maggie took a closer look at their surroundings which essentially was in the middle of nowhere and then at four hobbits in their company. "And…what the hell are you doing out here?"

"Theo and I are taking these hobbits to Rivendell. Middle-Earth has changed since last time you were here. Frodo, the fourth hobbit, has been given a dangerous task and was wounded on Weathertop. He has been taken to Rivendell for healing; we are to see that they get there safely." _Whoa, reality check_, Riley thought, _it must be the war of the ring._

Riley watched as Maggie turned around to Theo, who hadn't said a word. He could see that it was his nephew now. He shared Thorin's raven curls and the slightly pointed ears were certainly but his eyes and cheeks were Maggie's. It seemed he had inherited the dwarrow genes for ageing, because while sixty years had passed in Middle-Earth, Theo only looked as though he was in his mid-twenties. Maggie didn't seem to know what to say or how to act, but that wasn't strange and for a moment, there was an awkward silence until she stepped forward. As she did though, Theo took a couple of steps back.

"Theo, it's alright." Maggie said calmly "I'm -"

"I know who you are." Theo interrupted "I have known my whole life."

"So, uh not to interrupt and break up this whole reunion thing, but uhm, is anyone going to tell us exactly what in the _fuck_ is going on?" It was Laura who'd spoke up. For a moment, both Riley and Maggie had forgotten their three friends were with them.

"And who, prey tell, are your friends?" Aragorn asked

"Yeah, that's kind of a long story."

* * *

"Okay, let me get this straight." Felix said. Aragorn had decided that they could all explain everything whilst walking. So Maggie and Riley had told them the story of how they had arrived in Rivendell the first time and of their adventures there and then how they had come to be there now.

"A year ago you two went hiking in the Brecon Beacons of all places and then _somehow _ended up in Middle-Earth. There, you joined the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and actually reclaimed Erebor. Then, Maggie got pregnant with this one (he gestured at Theo) and ended up living in Rivendell for over a year with that one (he was pointing at Aragorn), when he was a child?"

"Pretty much yeah." Maggie said "There was a dragon and everything."

"Okay, I love you guys to bits but you're both clinically insane There is no such thing as Middle-Earth. It is a fictional place from a made up story."

"Of course Middle-Earth is real," said Samwise Gamgee, who wasn't sure he understood anything of what was happening at that moment. "We're all here aren't we? I know I'm real." he was worried about Frodo and wished they would hurry about and get to the elves already.

"Felix, calm down mate." Riley told his friend "I know this is a lot to wrap your head around, trust me first time around I didn't believe it either and I woke up to a company of dwarves points swords at my throat. This is just Estel…I mean Aragorn. Jesus, this is going to get confusing."

"Estel?" Merry said questioningly and looked at Aragorn

"It was my name in Rivendell as a child." Aragorn replied. "It means hope."

"Okay," Nat said "So let's just say for argument's sake, this is all real and not some extremely, very bizarre dream we're all having at the same time, how did we get here?"

"That is something I also wish to know." Aragorn said "Last time you two were here, it was for a reason. I have no doubt in my mind that this time is no different but, you will find that things have not stayed the same. Nor people."

"How long has it been and you know, how old are _you_?" Maggie asked, almost fearing the answer.

"It has been sixty years since you left; I turned 87 some weeks ago."

At this remark, Felix passed out.

"This is going to be a _long_ day." Laura realised

* * *

_**To be continued….**_

_**There we go! The beginning! It was quite short and as I said if you're wondering why it's up so quickly, it's because most of this was written ages ago. I'm just remastering it as my writing style has changed (hopefully for the better). Let me know what you think!**_


	2. Many Reunions

**A/N: **Here we are with chapter two! These updates are going to be a lot slower than usual. I am aiming for once or twice a week at the most. I'm swamped at work and right now I'm flu-ridden so if this chapter lacks sense, I would blame Tylenol day/night. Also guys, there's been a user sending random messages asking if you do fic-requests and then continues to spam with messages saying "Thank you for saying yes" or "thanks for agreeing to do a fic for me".

There's some discussion in the movies vs books regarding the ageing of Bilbo. The books state that he hasn't aged much at all, but in the movies he clearly aged a lot since taking off the ring. I've decided to keep it in the middle.

The bits in italics are either thoughts or memories.

Finally, there's a lot of things happening in this chapter, lots of dialogue and a lot of emotion.

_***content warning* Mild adult themes.**_

* * *

**TWO **

_Many Reunions _

Maggie watched the stars that night, unable to fall asleep. During her time in Rivendell, she was always amazed by how different the night sky was in Middle-Earth. Sometimes, during rare private moments, Elrond would take her out and they would lie on the grass. There, he would teach her about the constellations in the sky and the stories behind them. Some of them, Maggie learned, were not too dissimilar from constellations in the Earth night sky. For example, there was a constellation similar to Orion, that told the story of a swordsman who was sent out to fight Morgoth. She'd always known stars were sacred to elves but she'd never understood why until she heard the tone in Elrond's voice when he told her their origin.

According to Aragorn, they would reach Rivendell within the next day. They were all glad for the break after a few hours of trekking, especially Nat, Felix and Laura who were unused to the terrain. Even Maggie felt tired when they finally stopped for the night, in a woodland area not too far from Trollshadow. It was an awkward trek to say the least, Maggie and Riley both conversed with Aragorn while Theo stayed in the back with Felix, Nat and Laura who exchanged brief words with him. Mostly, the other three were too busy trying to take in everything that was happening and eventually, Maggie it seemed they accepted that this was not a dream. The girls handled everything fine and Nat was especially filled with questions. She had always been the more inquisitive of the group. That's why it came as no surprise to Maggie when her friend announced she had applied to the police academy a few years earlier. In the past year, she'd been preparing to take the sergeant's exam. Felix was the one who struggled the most with this new reality, which was strange to Maggie because just like her and Riley, he had grown up with reading Tolkien as well as CS Lewis.

Felix wasn't the only quiet one in the odd group. Maggie noticed how Theo took a step back and didn't even approach them. Whenever Maggie caught his eyes, he looked away or spoke to Aragorn. In the past year of being bak in their world, Maggie had almost accepted that she would never see her son again. Now, her son was a grown man and at least sixty years old even though he only seemed to be around her own age, which was a weird thing to accept. It meant the dwarves had been right in their speculations about what genes he would inherit and it seemed like the dwarrow ageing was one of them. Truthfully, Maggie wasn't sure how to handle suddenly having Theo in her life again. A part of her was obviously thrilled to see that her son was alive and seemed to be doing well, all things considered. Another part of her was filled with pain and guilt and wondered what he must be feeling. Theo had never known his father and his mother had simply disappeared from his life, without so much of an explanation. Maggie couldn't help but wonder if he perhaps hated her.

Almost immediately, the hobbits set out to start dinner and with little effort, Sam cooked a delicious stew, using herbs picked from his very own garden. Merry and Pippin bombarded Riley with a million questions, just like Fili and Kili had once done when they first met the Company. Eventually, the hobbits fell asleep and so did Laura, Nat and Felix. Riley stayed up for a while talking with Aragorn until he too drifted into a deep sleep. Maggie was also tired but after an hour of twisting and turning she gave up and turned her gaze to the stars. As she sat up and hugged her knees, the surrealism of it all stirred a bit of nausea within her and she inhaled a few deep breaths. Fili was always so good at calming her down whenever she felt anxious or panicked. Maggie couldn't even begin to explain how much she missed waking up to his strong arms wrapped around her. Feeling his breath against her skin while his beard rubbed against her neck. Those sacred intimate moments in the moment before Theo awoke were some of her favourites.

Maggie wondered what Fili was doing now. Did he still live in Rivendell or had he moved to Erebor? Had he perhaps even taken his place as King Under the Mountain, like Thorin wanted him to. Did he perhaps also hate her for leaving him? Had he maybe even found someone new after all this time? The thought of Fili moving on with someone else was almost too much for Maggie to stand, but was it unreasonable? Sixty years, even for a dwarf, was a long time. She couldn't possibly expect him to remain faithful to her after all that time. Did he not also deserve to be happy, even if it was not with her? Her departure must have caused so many people a lot of grief and heartache.

"That constellation is _Valacirca_," said Aragorn as he sat down next to Maggie. He lit a pipe and inhaled its tobacco slowly, before exhaling rings of smoke.

Seeing Aragorn as a man, after knowing him for so long as Estel was another shock to her system. Obviously, Maggie and Riley both knew that Estel would eventually grow up to be Aragorn, but to them that fact was so far in the future. Seeing the transformation within a year, was nothing short of bizarre. Yet, there he sat beside her, with his brown curly hair and equally brown beard. He wore clothes suited to a ranger of the north.

"It is also known to the dwarves as "Durin's Crown", the seven stars that Durin saw in the Mirromere." Aragorn continued. "Fili sometimes told me about the stars when I was young. I recall being surprised, because I wondered what dwarves could know of the stars when they spent so much time underground."

"Fee always did like the sky." Maggie remembered. "I used to think it was strange, but then Fili and Kili spent most of their lives living out of a mountain and not under it."

The sound of movement reached Maggie's ears. When she turned around to locate its source, she saw Theo sitting on a rock, staring idly into the forest. His gaze carefully wandered to Maggie's, but when their eyes met, he quickly turned away.

"He must hate me," Maggie whispered and hugged her knees tighter. "All of them. We have been gone for _sixty _years, Aragorn. That is almost a whole goddamn lifetime."

"Theo does not hate you," Aragorn assured her "You must not forget that 60 years for a human, is not the same for dwarves and certainly not for elves. Theo was raised with stories of you and your love for him. I also remember that love. This is simply a bit strange and unusual. After all, it is not everyday your mother returns from another world, when the only world he has known is this one."

"Yeah," Maggie sighed "Not a day goes by when I don't think about the day we got sent back. There's so much I wish I could change if I'd have known. I thought I was going to live out my life with Fili and Elrond by my side. Instead, I abandoned all of them."

A moment of silence fell between them as a million thoughts whirled around in Maggie's mind. She was angry with her brother, because if he would have told her about the prophecy in the first place, she could have warned everyone. Instead, he kept it to himself and didn't bother telling her before it was too late. Supposedly, he decided to keep it from her in order to protect her, but Maggie didn't need protecting. Riley had thought that Maggie wouldn't believe him, because she was so wrapped up in her own bubble of happiness and perhaps he was right. It still didn't give him the right to keep something so important from her and because of that, Maggie spent the past year being filled with guilt, grief and anxiety.

"Fili and Elrond both knew it wasn't your choice to leave," Aragorn told her "They never blamed you. After you left, Gandalf told them about the prophecy. Riley shared the information with him, in case anything did happen to you two."

"What are you saying?" Maggie asked as she looked up the ranger.

Aragorn's eyes seemed hopeful and he smiled at her. "I am saying that they never gave up hope. Both Fili and Elrond still love you deeply and they have waited for you all this time. All while raising Theo, with the help of your father."

Maggie hadn't forgotten that her father was also still in Middle-Earth. At first, she thought he must surely be an old man, but then she realised that not only was her father a Numenorean but a descendant of the House of Elros, which meant his lifespan was longer than the average human.

"How is my father?" Maggie asked "I can only assume he handled everything pretty well, considering dimension jumping seems to be what our family does best."

Aragorn chuckled. "He has taken residence in Minas Tirith. There was some political trouble regarding the matter of your heritage, which your father was able to settle."

"He didn't stay in Rivendell?"

This surprised Maggie, because she knew her father loved Rivendell, much like everyone seemed to do.

"No," Aragorn said "He does sometimes visit but as Theo grew older, there was not so much a need for parental supervision."

"I can't believe my son is older than I am, yet he looks like he is my age." Maggie said. "This is going to take some time getting used to."

Both Maggie and Aragorn heard Theo shift again. He moved from his place on the rock and poke the ember glowing coals. Maggie heard him exhale a heavy sigh be wanted before he crawled beneath his blanket and turned to his side. She wanted so badly to speak with him, to tell him everything and above all how much she loved him. She was desperate to let him know that not a day went by when Maggie didn't think about him. Every day, she woke up to her heart aching and she still cried at night when she thought about missing out on raising her son with the two loves of her life. There was literally nothing she could do that would make up for all the lost years, missed milestones and birthdays.

"Try to sleep, _aier_." Aragorn told her. "We should be arriving in Rivendell by midday tomorrow."

Maggie only nodded in response as the ranger kissed her forehead and returned to see to the fire.

As Maggie pulled the soft blankets over her and glanced at the sky one last time, briefly spotting Earendil glowing in the distance, she finally fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

The trek to Rivendell was much more arduous than Maggie remembered. She was definitely not as fit as she once was. It was a silent journey for most of the time, only interrupted by the hobbit quietly talking among each other. Even the usually chatty Merry and Pippin didn't ask Riley quite so many questions as the day before. As the events of the previous day sunk in, Maggie was finally able to take in her surroundings and she had almost forgotten the beauty of Middle-Earth. Even Felix, who struggled to adjust the most, was breath taken by the environment around them. Woodland turned into moor-like plains and then autumn sun made the temperature comfortable enough.

After a few hours, they reached plans which were particularly familiar to Maggie. Her eyes caught Riley's and they both realised they were on the same plains where they were chased by Azog and his orc pack. Maggie recalled falling over and then saving Balin while also being injured in the process. That was the first time she saw her father in that dream-like voidspace and the first time he told them about their true heritage. It was still strange to comprehend that to Maggie and Riley, those events took place maybe 2,5 years ago while sixty years passed in Middle-Earth. She wondered how the Company were doing, if all of them were still alive and how life had fared for them since their departure.

Aragorn brought them through the secret passageway beneath the ground and when they came to the end of the tunnel, Maggie finally saw a sight that she had not seen in a long time. The group paused and they all stared out over the view that was the Hidden Valley. Suddenly, a million different memories came flooding back to Maggie and her heart immediately began to rard, face faster. By the time they reached the courtyard, Maggie exhaled a breath she realised she'd been holding. Rivendell looked exactly the same and nothing had changed since their departure. She could hear the roaring waterfalls in the background, saw the stables where Aragorn would spend hours at a time as a child. She saw the gardens where Fili and Elrond would often spar, as a way to gain her attention. She heard the river not too far away and she recalled the picnic by the riverbed for her birthday. So many happy memories and yet her mind felt anxious at the thought of seeing Elrond and Fili again. Even though Aragorn told her that their feelings for her had not changed, she was still nervous.

"I will go and find Elrond," Theo said "And let him know our guests have arrived."

"Take the hobbits with you," Aragorn suggested "No doubt they are hungry after a long day's trek."

Theo left with Sam, Merry and Pippin and as Maggie was about to speak the sound of cheerful humming interrupted their conversation. Maggie thought the voice sounded familiar, if slightly changed and when she turned around she saw a familiar face sitting on a bench not far from where they were. Once again, Maggie's heart jumped. Bilbo Baggins hadn't changed much since they last met. You could tell that he was older but, he still had the familiar curly hair, wore a golden waistcoat and brown trousers. There were more wrinkles on his face, but that was the only real sign of ageing Maggie noticed. He seemed to be the same old Bilbo.

Maggie watched as her brother took careful steps forward and she saw the look in his eyes, which was a mix of excitement and nervosity. As Riley walked up to Bilbo, the hobbit seemed to be deep in his own thoughts as he was writing in a large leatherbound book. Regardless of her current feelings towards her brother, Maggie knew what this moment meant to Riley and she took a few steps back as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

"I see you're finally working on that book," Riley said carefully. "You always did say you wanted to record our adventures."

The moment Bilbo heard Riley's voice, he snapped out of his own voice and looked up from his work. For a while, the hobbit just stared at Riley as if he was looking at a ghost. Then, Bilbo put the book down beside him and used his walking stick to help him get up. Riley stood still in his place and when Bilbo finally walked up to Riley, she saw hints of tears in both of their eyes. Carefully, Bilbo reached up and touched Riley's face to make sure it was real and not some otherworldly apparition. Then, Bilbo closed the distance between him with a hug and for what seemed like ages they remained there.

"I always knew I'd see you again." Bilbo whispered "Nobody believed me. Except the elves. They know these things. Oh Riley how I've missed you."

"You always were a sentimental old fool, Master Burglar." Riley replied.

"I know Bilbo." Riley held the hobbit tightly as Bilbo sobbed into his shoulders. Riley remembered a time when the roles had been reversed and he was the one crying into Bilbo's arms.

"I am so sorry, my love." Riley didn't bother holding back the tears. "I am sorry I abandoned you. I never wanted to leave you."

"No." Bilbo said as he dried his own tears. "No you mustn't think that. I never did. I knew there was a reason and Elrond too. He asked if I would stay in the Shire but I had to go back. My cousin Frodo, you see.."

Riley interrupted Bilbo's ramblings with a kiss and ran his hands through the curly hair.

"It's okay Bilbo." he assured him. "You did what you had to do."

Bilbo let out a heavy sigh and placed a hand on his back. "I'm sorry." he apologised "I fear I am not as energetic as I once was."

"Let's go back to your room," Riley suggested "I'm assuming it's our old one? You can have a nap."

The hobbit nodded and stifled a yawn. Age, it seemed, had finally caught up with Bilbo Baggins. It was heartwarming to Maggie, to see her brother reunited with his love.

"Yes, I'd like that." Bilbo said "Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"Of course, my love."

Riley took Bilbo's hand as they walked back towards the Homely House, his eyes met Maggie's. She knew then that whether she liked it or not, the two of them would need to have a very long conversation when they had some time to themselves.

* * *

"Maggie," Felix said after staying silent for most of the journey. "Was that…"

"Yes." Maggie replied, knowing exactly what her friend was asking

"Shouldn't we…"

Maggie shook her head. She knew that Felix, Laura and Nat must have a thousand questions but, it wasn't her business to tell them about her brother's romantic relationship. Especially when she knew the hardships Riley and Bilbo had been through.

"No, Felix." she said calmly. "It wasn't our queue."

"But why was it Riley's?" Nat asked

"Because, " Maggie turned to her friends. "He is Bilbo's husband."

"I...don't understand." Laura said. "Riley Spencer is married to Bilbo Baggins. Of the Shire? Mr. Respectable hobbit who said good day to Gandalf the Grey."

"The one and the same."

"I know you guys briefly explained it earlier but I don't get it." Laura added "How do you guys know him...Aragorn...all of this? How is any of it even possible?"

Maggie had been dreading this moment. How could she possibly explain to her friends that over 2 years of her life had been spent in a world that was, to them, fictional. Maggie's eyes fell on a familiar window by an equally familiar balcony, looking out over the garden. The

"I will explain, I promise." she sighed. "Right now though, there's someone I've really got to see."

"Who?" Felix asked

"Perhaps," A familiar voice said from behind them. "While you are away, I could explain everything to your friends."

"Gandalf."

Maggie barely dared to believe her ears. At first, she heard the tapping of a staff as it hit the ground. From the vicinity of her eyes, she also saw a long grey robe cascading down the stone steps of the courtyard. When her gaze travelled up the figure, a pair of familiar and kind blue eyes met hers. Maggie practically ran into Gandalf's arms and the Grey Wizard embraced Maggie into a warm hug. He greeted her almost as if she was an old family member, which in some way she was. The smile on Gandalf's face told Maggie that he had missed his friends and was happy to see them once again.

"My dear Lady Maragaret. Long years have passed since I last saw you. It seems the Valar have blessed us with your presence once again." Gandalf said and when he released her from the hug, he greeted her with a respectful bow "It is wonderful to see you."

"Oh." Felix said. "You're friends with Gandalf the Grey, nothing strange there at all."

"Ah." said the wizard "So you have heard of me, Master Felix?"

Felix gazed at Gandalf in shock and the wizard merely responded with a chuckle. "My dear boy, you look like you have seen a ghost."

"At this point, I'm wondering if we're all dead but no such luck, I'm afraid."

Maggie shook her head. "Don't mind him, Gandalf. He's a bit grumpy sometimes, but mostly harmless."

"I will look after them while you are gone." Gandalf put his arm on Maggie and smiled. "He is waiting for you. I also believe we are awaiting the arrival of Master Fili."

"Who is waiting?" Natalie asked. "Also? Fili son of Durin?"

"Come walk with me, Lady Natalie, Lady Laura and Master Felix." Gandalf invited them to follow him. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

_Sixty years_, Maggie thought as she made her way up the stairs to Elrond's house. As she walked through its familiar corridors, she almost saw shadows of the past and distant memories echoing between the walls. _He hasn't seen me in sixty years_. For her, it had only been a year and that thought alone was enough to fill Maggie with anxiety. Even with Aragorn's words of comfort at the back of her mind, she wondered if perhaps Elrond had forgotten her and maybe with that forgotten his feelings for her. What right did she have to just ask him to take her back? After all, she had chosen to leave. It took ages until Maggie actually gained enough courage to walk through the halls until she reached the room that was Elrond's study. Of course, once she was outside it took her another good few minutes to get herself together. She was nervous because she wasn't sure what to expect. Would he be happy to see her? Was he angry with her? Had he moved on? She didn't know and the thought of that terrified her. Finally, after convincing herself it would be alright, Maggie raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Enter," said Elrond's familiar voice from inside.

_Here goes nothing, _Maggie thought as she opened the door. It was a familiar sight, Elrond sat by his desk writing down something on a parchment. Whatever was written on the parchment had him completely focused, like he often used to be when something was on his mind. _Still so handsome,_ Maggie thought. Her gaze wandered around the room and filled her mind with memories. Some of them were sad and heavy but most of them were happy memories. Even though Elrond had a bed chamber, it was his study that had become an intimate place for them. Maggie recalled times when she would perch on the side of his desk, running her hands through his dark hair, trying to steal a moment of his attention. Elrond would pretend to ignore her and she would walk behind him and put her arms around his shoulders.

"_You are very serious today, my lord." _

"_Even the Lord of Imladris must do paperwork, sometimes."_

"_I see. So there's no chance it can wait?" _

"_I am afraid not, meleth-nin." _

"_That's a shame. I guess I'll just go see if Fili is busy." _

As the memories played in Maggie's mind, she smiled. Suddenly she wasn't afraid anymore and put her worries aside as she stepped over the threshold.

"Some things don't change do they?"

* * *

_I know that voice, _Elrond looked up from his desk and the sight in front of him was unmistakable. She looked unchanged, the same auburn locks (albeit a bit longer) her round face and the same enchanting brown eyes. Instantly, the Elf-lord got out of his seat and walked over to Maggie. At first he embraced her and they remained so for a while as the elf-lord listened to the increasing beats of Maggie's heart. He had missed the warmth of her body and the touch of her skin. Elrond ran his hand through her hair and for a while they stood there staring into each other's eyes until Elrond sealed the space between them with a kiss. The kiss was one of love, want and one of desperate need. Tightly, Maggie wrapped her hands around Elrond's neck and promised herself she would never let him go again. They had been through too much together

"I've been waiting for you," said Elrond after they finally broke off the kiss. Maggie knew Elrond as somebody who always remained stoic, but even then his voice quivered. "I was not certain when you would be back. Prophecies aren't always specific."

"I'm sorry I took so long." Maggie replied as she tousled his long brown hair. It felt good to inhale his scent. ."I had no idea when or even if we'd be back here."

As he wrapped his hands around Maggie's waist, Elrond effortlessly picked her up and in one swift movement placed her on his desk. Another familiar memory surfaced, to a time when the two of them had acknowledged their lust and attraction for each other.

"Do you remember the games we used to play?" Maggie asked as Elrond placed a kiss on her neck, while his hand trailed the inside of her thigh.

"I remember you were particularly mischievous at times." Elrond's hand found its way to the zip of Maggie's jeans and seemed confused at first at the strange garment of clothing. She never wore such clothes during her time in Rivendell.

Maggie chuckled as the elf-lord struggled to undo the fly of her jeans, but he finally did, Elrond pulled them off her.

"_Hir-nin Elrond_." Maggie whispered in his ear and let her finger trail down his back. "You seem impatient?"

"Long years have I waited to see you again." Elrond kissed her lips. "To touch you again." he kissed her nose.. "To love you again." he kissed her neck. "To have you again." he whispered in her ear and bit Maggie's earlobe and she felt herself trembling.

* * *

"I am so confused…." Felix said as they walked. "Who is Maggie going to see and why is Fili's arrival important?"

"Maggie and Elrond are lovers," Gandalf replied frankly. "As are Fili and Maggie. They have not seen each other in a very long time."

Felix heard what Gandalf was saying but he wasn't sure he understood it or knew how to react to it. Parts of it made sense, when it came to how strange both Maggie and Riley had been acting over the past year. He wondered if their ongoing feud had something to do with this as well. In all the years he'd known Maggie, she was someone who never wanted to be a mother, yet now she apparently had a grown up son and not just one but two partners. Not to mention Riley was apparently married to Bilbo Baggins. It was all a bit much for Felix and he began to feel nauseated again.

"I thought dwarves weren't too keen on sharing things?" Nat asked

"Most of them are not, Lady Natalie." the wizard confirmed "Heaven knows Thorin was not"

"Wait...what?"Laura asked "You're gonna have to start at the beginning."

"So." Felix said. "How does this story begin?"

Felix, Laura and Natalie walked with Gandalf through the gardens of Rivendell. It had taken time but eventually, Fili began to accept that all of this was not a strange dream or a mass hallucination. This was real. Middle-Earth was a real place and whether he liked it or not, he'd have to deal with that. Natalie and Laura seemed to have accepted it far easier than he did.

"It began like the best stories do." Gandalf explained. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. But I believe you know this story already."

"We do." Nat acknowledged "But I don't understand what it has to do with Maggie and Riley."

"Sixty years ago, myself and a company of dwarves were on our way to Rivendell. We were passing through to seek help from an old friend before continuing our journey to Erebor. I was gone at the time, but when I returned, Riley stumbled into the dwarves' camp while Maggie had been taken hostage by the three mountain trolls. When we eventually arrived in Rivendell, we had to stay there for two weeks and wait until Midsummer's Eve where Elrond could decipher a very old map. During these two weeks, Maggie became close with Thorin Oakenshield and throughout the journey, they fell in love. Riley and I were away on a separate adventure to seek out the Necromancer in Dol Guldur but Maggie travelled with the Company. It was during their time in Lake Town that Maggie found out she was pregnant. "

The trio listened carefully to Gandalf's story. They knew it well of course, all of them (except Laura) had grown up with the works of Tolkien and had seen the Lord of the Rings many times. It was strange to hear their friends being part of such a familiar story.

"Wait...you're telling me Maggie and Riley helped the dwarves reclaim Erebor?" Nat said

"And Maggie fell in love with Thorin _Oakenshield_?" Laura added

"Yes." Gandalf said "They loved each other very deeply and had things been different, no doubt our Maragaret would be Queen of Erebor now. But, fate is cruel and Thorin's was already sealed."

"What happened next?" Felix asked

"After the Battle of the Five Armies and Thorin's funeral, Maggie fell into a deep depression. She had lost their baby and buried her lover. For days she was inconsolable. The only one she allowed to see her was Bard. In the end, we decided it was best if she came to stay in Rivendell while Master Riley sought out their kin in Dunedain with Bard, Tauriel, Kili and Legolas."

"What about Bilbo? Did he go back to the Shire?" Natalie wondered, she had been completely engrossed by the the story.

Gandalf nodded. "Temporarily, but when Riley returned to Rivendell, Bilbo decided to join him there."

"And Maggie? Did she recover?"

At Laura's question, Gandalf sighed and briefly focused his glance to Lord Elrond's window. Then he turned around to the three friends and continued the story. "The first few months were hard. She would often wake up at night, screaming from nightmares and it took a while before she would even speak to anyone. At one point, her Battle Terror and grief was so great, I know she thought about taking her life but thankfully she never acted on those thoughts. Eventually, with the help of Elrond and Fili she began to see the light again and when Theo was born, everything changed for her. I still remember the look of love in her eyes as she held her son for the first time."

"Oh my god…" Laura whispered and felt silent tears running down her face. "I never knew."

The wizard gently wiped the tears with his thumb. All this time, they never knew what Maggie and Riley both had been through. There were still some questions left unanswered, but the bigger picture started making sense.

"Aye, but our Maggie is strong." said the wizard "After Theo's birth, Maggie told me she had a dream of Thorin. There, he told her that he wanted her to be happy and to have a life filled with love for both herself and their son. After that, things got better."

"She needed closure." Felix guessed. "Where is she now, Gandalf? Who did she have to see? I know that's not all there is to the story. You said there was some tension between Thorin and Elrond?"

"You catch on quickly Master Felix." Gandalf chuckled. "But yes, you are. Thorin and Elrond did not see eye to eye at first, certainly not where Maggie was concerned. When the dwarves spent time in Rivendell, before Thorin and Maggie even knew how they felt about each other, Elrond and Maggie formed a bond. They were and still are very close. As Maggie was healing her grief and near-death, they found each other again. I believe that right now, Maggie and Lord Elrond are having a long awaited and well deserved reunion."

"You mean...she's _with _Elrond?" Nat asked. "Right now?"

"Well, I certainly hope so." the wizard chuckled. "He's been rather grumpy of late."

* * *

Later that evening, Maggie found herself wandering the halls of Elrond's House, exploring every corner and every corridor. When her initial nerves and anxiety settled down, she realised it felt good to be there again. To be _home_. Her intimate moment with Elrond had been nothing short of perfect and exhilarating. She couldn't explain how good it was to see her love again and she could tell he was just as excited. There was a slight chill in the evening air as she came to a familiar corridor, with a mural painted on the wall.

"Neither of you are elves." he said. Maggie saw the skeptic look in his eyes as he studied both of them.

"The men of the South are welcome here." Aragorn said gently

"Who are you?" Boromir's voice was sharp, almost as if he was a bit scared.

"I am friend to Gandalf the Grey."

"Then we are here on common purpose." Boromir turned his attention to Maggie. "And you My Lady? What brings a fair maiden to these parts?"

"I am a friend to Lord Elrond." Maggie replied. "Here for a visit."

Boromir was no fool, Maggie realised and she saw a brief smirk appear on his face as he stepped forward and studied her closer.

"I was not aware elf-lords sought companionships in humans?"

"And I was not aware it's any of your business."

Boromir must have realised he'd crossed a line, but instead of apologizing he turned around and walked up to the stone table which kept an old broken sword.

"The Shards of Narsil. The blade that cut the ring from Sauron's hand"

Boromir grabbed the sword with his hands and seemed to be awestruck by it. Maggie exchanged glances with Aragorn, who said nothing. Suddenly, Boromir winced as he accidentally cut himself on the blade.

"Still sharp," he whispered "But no more than a broken heirloom."

Without so much as a care, Boromir dropped the piece of the sword he'd been holding and left. Maggie decided in that instant that she was no fan of his or his manners. Aragorn didn't seem to mind and quietly went to pick up the sword and put it back in its place. The ranger turned around to Maggie.

"Theo is in the gardens," Aragorn said as if he'd read her mind. "Go and speak with him. Now is a good time."

Maggie nodded and sure enough, she found Theo sitting on a bench in the garden. He was leaning forward, with his chin resting on his hand. He was deep in thought as he stared out over the darkened landscape of Rivendell. As Maggie saw him sitting there, she couldn't help but stare in amazement. In the moonlight, Theo was almost a spitting image of Thorin, except younger. He carried his father's posture, one with a lot of pride. He had braids in her hair, one of them was similar to the family braid shared by Thorin, Fili and Kili. She wasn't quite sure what the other braid was for, but perhaps it held a different significance. Theo must have heard her coming long before Maggie reached him, because he moved over to make space for next to him.

For a while, they sat in silence and Maggie figured out how to even begin to say what was on her mind. Finally, it was Theo who broke the silence.

"He has missed you," he said "No doubt cousin Fili will be equally excited to see you."

"Theo, I know that no words I can say will ever change how I must have hurt you by disappearing. I'm not expecting you to forgive me but please know that I never wanted to leave. Not you, not Fili or Elrond. You were my whole life and I love you endlessly. I would do anything to have that lost time back."

Maggie knew she sounded desperate but it was beyond important to her that Theo knew that she never wanted to

"All my life growing up, I never understood why Fili always looked so sad and why Elrond never smiled. Except when they spoke of you. I know the love you have for them is great and even Aragorn always talked about you with such high regard. I do not remember any of it, except sometimes you would sing to me. I was angry for a long time but I am not angry with you, mother. I am angry with _them_." Theo said as he sat down "Gandalf once explained about the prophecy and what expect people to follow them so blindly, yet they have the power to play with our lives."

Theo's voice filled with anger, a similar kind of anger Maggie used to hear in Thorin. He clenched his fist and Maggie saw silent tears streaming down his face. She placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it gently. For the first time since their arrival, Theo looked up and their eyes met and then, he embraced Maggie. The hug took her by surprise but then, they spent ages just holding each other and Maggie too realized she was crying. To her surprise, it was Theo who wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.

"You look so much like him." Maggie whispered. "He would be so proud if he saw you now."

"Fili says he is always watching," Theo said "From Mahal's Hall."

Then, Theo seemed to remember something and as he briefly let go of Maggie, he reached inside his pouch and took out something that surprised Maggie. All this time, she'd almost forgotten about Riley's old iPhone they'd left behind the night they disappeared. What amazed her even more was that Theo was able to start it and unlock its display. It should be impossible for the device to still have batteries after sixty years, but if it was one thing Maggie knew about Middle Earth was that it was full of surprise. As Theo unlocked the phone, he tapped on the Gallery icon on the screen and opened up photo albums.

"Granddad showed me how to use this." Theo explained "When I was very little and he tucked me into bed, he would show me photos of you. Here, this is my favourite one."

Theo opened a photo which immediately brought a smile to Maggie's face and a flutter stirred in her stomach. It was a photo taken at her 26th birthday party. The one planned by Bilbo where the Company of dwarves visited from Erebor, as well as Bard, his children and Brenna. Even Dis had made the effort. She remembered the night fondly and especially the few hours following the party when she'd spent the night with Elrond and Fili at the same time. It was a group photo, by the looks of it taken by Lindir who must have been instructed by Riley because the photograph was a little blurry but you could see everyone. Maggie was standing between her two lovers, with baby Theo in her arms. She saw the smile on her face and suddenly felt a little sad, because she hadn't smiled like that for a long time.

"It is my favourite photo because my whole family is in it, except father." Theo said "You all look so happy."

"It was a wonderful night," Maggie remembered "I can't believe you kept this or that it still works after all this time. Hell, they barely last a year in our world."

"Gandalf was able to use some magic to alter its...lifespan."

"I bloody love wizards."

Theo got back up on his feet and reached out his hand to help Maggie up.

"Come _naneth_," he said and Maggie felt another wave of flutter at the elvish word for 'mother'. "Let's go to the kitchens, it's too cold a night to stay outside and I believe hazelnut hot cocoa is your favourite?"

* * *

"Middle-Earth huh? I'll be damned,"

"It kind of explains a lot though; why Maggie's been acting so off lately and why Riley won't really speak about it." Laura, Felix and Nat were all sitting in Nat's bedchamber, which she could not believe the size of, talking things through. Sleeping seemed impossible as they were all still too wired up.

"I'm still not sure I understand what's going on." said Laura "You're forgetting I haven't read or seen Lord of the Rings. I never got the big deal with it."

There was a knock on the door and when Riley came inside, Laura crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "And just where have you been?" Laura asked

"Chill out Mrs Weasly," Riley teased as he sat himself down on the floor next to Felix. "If you must know I've been out having a chat with Gandalf. Do you have any idea of what's happening tomorrow?"

Felix shrugged "You got me, but do tell."

"Tomorrow is the Council of Elrond. You know the meeting where they decide what's going to happen with the ring."

Felix almost felt a bit excited

"Shit, we've got here in perfect timing. Don't suppose there's any chance we could listen in on it?"

"Actually," Riley replied "Maggie and I have been asked to join." Elladan had explained everything to him a short while earlier. People had been arriving throughout the day and some would arrive in the early hours of the morning to attend the council and given the current circumstances, Riley and Maggie had been asked to participate.

"Why do you get to join when we don't?" Felix asked

"I guess because, well, we're family."

Nat had been sat in silence for while with a warm cup of tea in her hands until she finally spoke.

"What happened between you guys, Ri?"she asked "You and Maggie used to be so close, but you've barely spoken in a year. You still aren't really speaking and I know it's got something to do with all of this."

Riley sighed and twiddled his thumbs, while considering how to explain. Chances were his friends would also be angry with him and they had all rights to be, but at least then his conscience would finally clear.

"I was an idiot." Riley explained "When I travelled with the Dunedain, I found a prophecy which told of us returning to Middle-Earth. Something about 'Five more will come to aid their fight.' Anyway, I decided that the best thing to do was to keep the prophecy from Maggie because she was so happy. Elrond and Fili had both confessed their feelings to her, Theo was born and she was finally over all the grief and sorrow from Thorin and the Battle of the Five Armies. I thought the best thing to do was to not divulge that information with her, because I also knew she wouldn't believe me. A part of me also though that because we changed fate once, we could change it again. The Valar are quite stubborn about their decisions so one day, we were simply yanked back to our world and I had to tell Maggie the truth."

"Let me guess," Felix said "She didn't take it well?"

Riley shook his head. "Not at all. She thought I was selfish for keeping something so crucially important from her, based on assumptions of how she might react. I tried explaining my reasons but she said that if I'd have told her, she could have warned Elrond and Fili. The more I tried reasoning with her, the more she shut me out and I know how stubborn she can be. I eventually got more annoyed and you guys know the rest."

"Oh Riley…" Laura said

"I still can't believe it," Nat added " All that time and we never knew."

"Would you really have believed us even if we told you?" They all agreed it was a fair enough point. It wasn't something you really brought up in any conversation.

"You guys have to talk about it now that you're here." Felix knew "You can just let it fester, it will just rot and turn into more anger."

Felix knew his friend was right of course, he just had to wait for the righ time.

_**To be continued….**_

* * *

_**Whew! That was a longer chapter than I expected! It is also a significant improvement on the original chapter I wrote years ago. A lot happened, many reunions and lots of conversation. I decided to add bits of information from "Melamar" that didn't really make the cut in the final version. What did you think? How did I handle everything? Can you spot which bit I added from the extended DVD edition? Next up: Council of Elrond and perhaps another long awaited reunion. **_

_**Leave a comment/review! **_


	3. Many Meetings

**A/N: **This update is a little later than usual because I'm still sick and getting annoyed with it at this point so if this chapter does not make sense, I once again blame the flu meds.

First of all, thank you all for your favourites/follows/kudos as well as your reviews and comments. I literally cannot express how happy they make me, I did not think anyone would like this story when I first started writing it. Who are your favourite characters? What do you think of the newbies, Nat, Laura and Felix? Will they be shipped with anyone do you think? Let me know!

I noticed an editing mistake in the previous chapter when Gandalf tells the story of Maggie and Riley to the others and he mentions that the baby died. Obviously Theo is alive, but the original plan was that he did not make it. I'm glad I changed my mind on that one. Also, I'm sticking to the movieverse timeline where it's sixty years between the Hobbit and LOTR. Also in the book the Council of Elrond takes place in October and the Fellowship do not depart from Rivendell until December. They won't stay that long in this version, but a week or so to tie things over.

Lots of dialogue, more reunions and a very famous Council.

Inspiration for Maggie's dress:  listing/459855250/medieval-dress-ophelia-preraphaelite?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=elvish++dress&ref=sr_gallery-1-18&organic_search_click=1&cns=1

Inspiration for Laura's dress:  listing/400242159/medieval-dress-for-historical?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=medieval+dress&ref=sr_gallery-1-29&organic_search_click=1&sca=1

Inspiration for Nat's dress:  listing/244311175/wood-elven-dress-fairy-wedding-dress?ref=related-1

* * *

**THREE**

_Many Meetings_

Maggie woke up just before dawn when the very first rays of sun began to peer through the large bay windows of Elrond's bedroom. She was too restless and full of energy to sleep and Elrond was (unsurprisingly) already out of bed. After their meeting in the gardens, Theo brought her to the kitchens where he made her hazelnut hot cocoa. They spent hours talking about everything and sometimes about nothing. Maggie listened to her son telling her about his childhood, (mis)adventures with Aragorn and Legolas and lots of other things she'd missed out on. She wanted to hear everything but naturally, there was no time and eventually Maggie's eyelids felt heavy. All the emotions of the past couple days caught up with her and she found herself having to give up and call it a night. When she crawled into bed next to Elrond, Maggie was the happiest she had felt in over a year. She was finally home again and she never wanted to leave it.

In those early moments of dawn, Maggie found her brother sitting on their favourite veranda with a cup of tea next to him and another in his hand.

"Hey.." Riley said carefully. "Cuppa?"

"Sure."

Maggie knew the tea was a peace offering, which she accepted and then sat down next to Riley. It amazed her that her brother was already awake and dressed, because no matter what universe they were currently in, Riley Spencer hated early mornings more than anyone. As a child, their parents sometimes would literally have to drag him out of bed or use other tricks to get him to wake up in time for school. Now, Riley sat next to her dressed in more Middle-Earth appropriate clothing (trousers and tunic). He seemed more relaxed than Maggie had seen him in a while, which made sense. She wondered how Riley felt about seeing Bilbo for the first time in such a long while, especially as Bilbo had now aged. As all the thoughts whirled around in Maggie's mind, she inhaled the scent of the herbal tea, which was some kind of chamomile with honey and took a sip.

"I know you probably don't want to," Riley told her. "But I think we should talk. Don't you?"

"Yeah," Maggie said and took another sip of the tea and then pondered for a while on how to phrase thought's she'd been carrying inside her for a whole year. She didn't want to completely berate her brother for actions, or lack thereof, but she did want to make it clear how his choices made her feel and what she had been going through for the past year.

"I know you did what you thought was right at the time." Maggie started "You've always only ever had my best intentions at heart. I know that's the big brother part of you and I've always loved you for that. But it doesn't change the fact that you should have told me, Ri. The moment you got back to Rivendell we should have talked. That would have been the sensible thing to do."

"I know," Riley sighed, "In my mind, I thought you were happy in your honeymoon phase of your relationships with Elrond and Fee, that I convinced you wouldn't believe me. I also didn't want to take away your happiness after all the suffering. Honestly, I also didn't want to believe it. I thought that by not telling you, maybe it wouldn't happen at all and I could just ignore it. I'm sorry, Maggie."

Maggie understood her brother's reasoning and if she was honest with herself, she couldn't say that she wouldn't have acted the same way. She also knew that Riley wasn't the only one to blame for how things had been between them over the past year and she felt a bit of shame over her own actions. Anger was her least favourite character trait, yet Maggie allowed her anger over Riley's decisions to fester and turn into poison.

"I'm sorry too, Riley." Maggie said. "I got so angry with you and the only reason why is because I missed Theo, Fee and Elrond so much it was hurting. I blamed you for taking me away from them and I didn't even consider how much you must have been hurting from being without Bilbo for so long. I've been a bloody awful sister if I'm honest."

"I can't say I've been the best brother either." Riley said "I'm sorry about those awful things I said back at Nat's the night we got here. I didn't mean any of it.'

Maggie took her brother's hand and leaned against him while he wrapped his arms around her in the first hug they had shared in a year. It wasn't the first argument they'd had and it certainly wouldn't be the last but it lasted longer than either of them wanted. Talking things over had always been the Spencer way of dealing with problems, even if sometimes meant brutal honesty was used.

"So," Riley said when he let go of Maggie and stifled a yawn. "War of the Ring, huh? This is the big one."

"Yeah, shit." Maggie realised and she hadn't given much thought to, but it immediately raised a lot of questions about what it would mean for them. "What are we going to do?"

"If the prophecy is right, I think we have to join the Fellowship and I don't mean just you and I. It said six more will aid the fight. Obviously that means Nat, Felix and Laura but that still leaves one."

At the thought of their three friends, Maggie couldn't help but feel bad. Since their arrival in Middle-Earth, she had been so focused on seeing Elrond and talking to Theo and Aragorn that she hadn't really considered what her friends must be going through. Suddenly finding yourself in a whole other world that was supposed to be fictional was a lot to take in. Both Riley and Maggie owed the other three a proper explanation about everything, but it seemed like there was a lot going on in Rivendell as well.

"We should all talk," Maggie suggested "They must have so many questions. I haven't exactly been a great friend in the past couple of days."

"Gandalf filled them in on mostly everything, but you're right." Riley agreed "Maybe we can all talk during breakfast, before the Council of Elrond?"

"That's TODAY? Oh my God that means Legolas must be coming!"

"Not to mention, Gloin, Gimli and Fili."

Maggie's heart skipped a bit when Riley mentioned Fili's name. She had only ever known Fili as a youthful dwarf but now, she figured he was at least 142 years old if her math was right. Had he aged, Maggie wondered. Were there bits of grey hair in his gorgeous blonde curls? Was he perhaps less boyish and more mature now? Whatever the case, she couldn't wait to see him and felt a rush of excitement sweep over her.

"It's good to be home, Ri." Maggie said after a while. "I've really missed this and everyone."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

They talked for a while longer, until dawn became early morning and both their stomachs growled with hunger. It was good, Maggie thought, to no longer be fighting because over the past year, she had really missed her brother. Riley was her best friend and the only one she was able to talk to about Middle-Earth. Shutting him out in her anger was a foolish decision and something Thorin would have done. Now that they were back in Middle-Earth, things could get back on track and with Nat, Laura and Felix there, they didn't have to keep anything secret anymore. _Strange, _Maggie thought as she ate the last spoonful of porridge for breakfast, _it's been a while since I've thought about him. _It was rare that Thorin crossed her mind but sometimes, in unexpected moments, she saw his face when she closed her eyes. These days, it wasn't sadness that filled her heart when she was reminded of his kind, blue eyes but love. Maybe Theo was right and he was smiling down at them from his place in Mahal's Hall.

Breakfast was always a feast in Rivendell, just like everything else and they ate outside, in the warm sunlight. To both Maggie and Riley's surprise, the trio adjusted well to Rivendell and their new surroundings. Over breakfast, Felix was having a conversation with Aragorn and Theo. Natalie happily spoke with Lord Elrond, no doubt asking him a thousand questions about elves, while Laura answered Merry and Pippin's 21 questions. Meanwhile, Maggie couldn't believe she was having breakfast with Frodo Baggins of the Shire. Just like his cousin, Frodo was a polite and well-spoken hobbit, with a glint of mischief in his eyes. Thanks to Elrond's healing, he recovered from the Nazgul attack on Weathertop and it was clear the other hobbits were more than relieved. Every now and again throughout breakfast, Maggie caught Gandalf's eyes as he smoked his pipe. Something troubled the wizard and that was usually never a good thing.

Following breakfast, when their stomachs were all full and happy, Maggie and Riley were finally able to have a moment alone with Felix, Nat and Laura. Lord Elrond's staff had provided the trip with fresh clothes, which obviously fit them all perfectly. Felix was dressed in trousers and tunic similar to Riley's, except his tunic was grey rather than white. He also wore a waistcoat over the tunic and his brown hair was actually brushed and tied into a ponytail for once. Apparently some of the elves had wondered how a human man could have such elf-like hair and none of them realised of course that Felix never grew out of his grunge-phase. Nat and Laura both wore two beautiful dresses, perfectly fit for their size and figure. There was something about being dressed in basically medieval fantasy clothes that brought out one's inner child and all three girls were giddy and giggling throughout the morning.

"So, we spoke with Lord Elrond," Maggie said "Given that the prophecy is almost certainly about us five joining the Fellowship, it makes sense that you guys also attend the Council."  
"I still don't get it," Laura said "Why us? Why are we specifically chosen for this?"

"We literally have no idea." Riley replied "All we know is that the Valar have very specific visions about the fate of this world. For some reason, that includes us, which is great because Sauron has a very personal vendetta against our family."

"I still can't believe your dad is a Numenorean. All this time and we had no idea." Felix said "I mean, seriously! Uncle Al who struggles to use chromecast is Amandil! Wait! Does this mean you guys are immortal?"

Maggie chuckled but it was a legitimate question. Numenoreans, she knew, weren't so much immortal as blessed with a longer lifespan. Technically, she and Riley were half Numenoreans and lived all their life on Earth, so maybe that meant their genes were different somehow? Just as she was about to reply to Felix's question, they were interrupted by Lindir who called out to them.

"My Lady Margaret, Master Riley." said the Elf. "You have some guests awaiting your presence in the courtyard."

Lindir didn't have to say anything else and the two siblings both took off running from the veranda to the courtyard. There, just as Lindir said, three figures stood waiting for them. Two of them were dwarves and one of them was a very familiar, blonde elf-prince. Maggie ran straight into the arms of Gloin who laughed heartily and returned her embrace. Gloin had definitely aged, but he still looked well with the same ginger hair and kind eyes.

"Durin's Beard," said the old dwarf as he took Maggie's hand and spun her around as though they were dancing. "You have not aged a day, lass."

"It's wonderful to see you, Master Gloin!" Maggie said and then she turned to the second dwarf who looked almost exactly like his father. "This must be your son whom I've heard so much about?"

"Aye, this is my lad, Gimli." Gloin said proudly "Gimli, these are my dear friends. Master Riley and Lady Margaret."

Gimli gave a deep and respectful bow to Maggie who returned his greeting with a curtsy. She'd almost forgotten the politeness of dwarves.

"It's an honour to meet such a fair maiden of legend." Gimli said and Maggie chuckled when she saw him blush.

"Do I not get a greeting?" Legolas asked with his arms crossed. "I thought we were also old friends?"

"'Las. How could I forget?" Maggie greeted Legolas with a hug and couldn't believe how many of their old friends were there.

"_Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo_." Legolas said "A star shines upon the hour of our meeting and our paths cross once more. Just like you once told me they would, _aier_."

"Maggie!"

There was no doubt in Maggie mind who the new voice belonged to. A blonde dwarf stood on top of the stone steps leading down to the courtyard.

Fili jumped, nay leaped, down the stone steps and still managed to elegantly land on both feet. He stood still in his place for a moment as he studied Maggie with wide eyes. There was both excitement and almost disbelief in those blue eyes but when they locked with Maggie, a familiar mischievous smile tugged at his lips. Butterflies stirred in Maggie's gut and she almost immediately felt like a teenager again. The next thing she knew, Fili ran towards her and slammed his lips to hers. Not only did the blonde dwarf nearly knock all the wind from her lungs, but practically tackled Maggie in the process. She lost her footing and fell over, with Fili landing on top of her. Maggie hardly had a moment to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips and delved inside her mouth. By all accounts, it was a very sloppy kiss in the intermingling of their billowing breaths but Maggie didn't mind. Time almost seemed to have frozen in place and when Fili finally broke the kiss, Maggie's arms reached up and tangled around Fili's, strong neck. The blonde dwarf rested his forehead against hers while gently rubbing his nose against Maggie, who let out a small chuckle. She had almost forgotten the small ways in which dwarves showed affection. Any doubts she'd previously had about Fili missing her were eradicated.

"Mahal..." Fili whispered, "I can't believe you've come back to us."

Fili got off Maggie and helped her up on her feet. Then, he pulled her close to him and held her for a while, as they just looked each other in the eyes. Maggie tousled his blonde hair with her fingers as she felt Fili's breath on her lips.

"I am never leaving again." Maggie replied. "I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, all of Maggie's guilt washed over her again and she felt tears streaming down her face. It was her heart reminding her of the deep love she had for Fili and indeed Elrond as well. Not having them in her life had created an empty space inside her, which she hadn't been able to fill no matter how much she tried to heal. Back in their world, Maggie's friends thought her sadness was to due a lack of relationship, so their solution was to try and get her to date and had on more than one occasion attempted to play matchmaker. Obviously, this backfired and only made Maggie more sad. She recalled one occasion when she'd burst into tears in front of her friends and wasn't able to explain why. That if she didn't have Fili and Elrond she wouldn't have anyone.

"No, it isn't your fault, _Amralime_." Fee assured her and cupped her chin, his gentle thumb wiping away her tears. "You did not know and had no control."

"I caused all of you so much pain and I missed out on so much."

Maggie felt a sharp panic begin to grow inside her and almost immediately her breath became more shallow. Fee's soothing strokes calmed her.

"All I care about is that you are here now." Fee told her "_Amralizi_ , Maggie. Nothing has changed that."

"I love you too, Fee." Maggie whispered

"You guys have a room, you know." Riley teased. "Like at least three of them. Although, if memory serves it seems sometimes you only need one."

Maggie threw a small pebble at her brother who dodged it. Fili let go of Maggie and kissed her on the cheek

"It is wonderful to see you, Riley." Fili said "I see you have not lost your spark of mischief."

"Neither have you, I hope?"

"Certainly not. Someone has to be a bad influence on my nieces and nephew."

Maggie and Riley spoke at the same time. "What?"

"Kili and Tauriel married some years ago." Fili explained "They have three children now, all of them a handful."

"Kee is a _dad_?" Riley asked "You're sure we're talking about the same Kili? The kids are still alive?"

Fili chuckled. "It's hard to believe, I know. Frerin is only ten, Idril is twenty-two and Miriel is twenty."

"Wait, so in human years that's what-five years old around 10-12 for the girls?

"Fee, these are our friends; Laura, Natalie and this is Felix. Guys this is Fili, Son of Dis."

"And now also King under the Mountain," came Elrond's voice from behind them. The

"You're _king_?" Maggie asked, "Of _Erebor_?"

Maggie couldn't believe her ears. During their time in Rivendell, Fili had made it very clear that he didn't want the crown of Erebor and had given it to Dain. Perhaps her departure all those years ago made him change his mind? Even though the news surprised her, she was happy about them because Fili was no doubt a wonderful king.

"Aye," Fili nodded "I have been for the past fifty-five years."

"Ah, so technically Mags that means you are the king's mistress." Riley teased

"Sounds like the title of a Mills and Boons novel if you ask me." Felix added

"Ooh! The King's Mistress and the Lord's Lover! We've got two best-sellers on the go, mate!"

A pebble came flying at Riley and Felix who dodged them. Maggie had almost forgotten what the two of them were like when they got together. Felix stuck out his tongue at Maggie who simply shook her head.

"What is a Mills and Boon novel?" Lord Elrond asked

"Believe us, Lord Elrond." Nat replied "You're better off not knowing."

"I shall take your word for it Lady Natalie. Now, most of our guests have arrived, it is time to take our seats for the council."

* * *

No matter how many times Riley had seen the movies and read the books, the Council of Elrond always managed to surprise him each time. Never in his life could have imagined actually being part of the Council for the sole purpose of joining the fellowship. Even after everything they'd been through over the past few years, the magic of Middle-Earth never ceased to amaze him. A small part of him still fanboyed over all these people, whom he had only heard in stories. There was no doubt in Riley's mind that joining the Fellowship was the right thing to do, but it also came with a lot of questions that would no doubt be answered in time. He didn't necessarily like the idea of leaving Bilbo behind again, especially in his old age. His husband was tired most of the time and Riley wanted to spend time with him, but Bilbo understood.

While he and Maggie were used to Middle-Earth, the other three were not. No amount of preparation or conversation could prepare them for the dangers ahead. Middle-Earth was not the same as it was sixty years ago and Riley knew this war was much worse than the Battle of the Five Armies. Both he and Maggie had suffered Battle Terror after the Five Armies and for Riley's part, the anger and darkness inside after the confrontation with the Necromancer nearly destroyed him. He wasn't overly keen on experiencing something like that again, but he also knew they needed to do this. It was clearly what the Valar had planned for them and he knew better than to go against their wishes.

"Strangers of distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." said Elrond. "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall."

Riley leant towards Maggie and whispered so that only she could hear it. "You remember Professor Hutchinson's infamous Classics 101 lectures? I have a feeling this is going to be a bit like it." Maggie didn't reply, instead she turned her glance to Frodo who was sat right opposite her. He was carrying the ring around his neck and for a moment their eyes made but were both interrupted by Elrond's voice.

"Bring forth the ring Frodo."

Frodo placed the small golden ring on the stone table and It was almost as if time froze. Riley found himself staring at the object in front of him and he immediately began to remember his adventures with Gandalf. That first time they saw the mark of Sauron carved on tree-barks in Mirkwood and then their journey to Dol Guldur. He remembered so clearly when Bilbo found the ring in Gollum's cave and he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Riley had taken it instead and hidden from Bilbo. Perhaps then, the fate of Middle-Earth would be different but it wasn't really his call to already mess with fate. As Riley stared at the ring, his eyes began to feel heavy yet he couldn't take his eyes off it. All the noise of the council drowned away around him and he could only hear one voice.

'_Riley, son of Amandil.' _Sauron spoke, `I _have been waiting for you." _

"I will take it! I will take the ring to Mordor."

Riley snapped out of his thoughts when Frodo spoke again.

"Though," said the hobbit "I do not know the way."

Gandalf sighed and Riley could hear the disappointment in his friends breath even though the wizard didn't say it.

"I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." said Gandalf

"If by my life, will or death I can protect you, I will," Aragorn added and knelt down in front of Frodo "You have my sword,"

Maggie looked up at Elrond. "Seriously, how is he 87? I still feel like I need to protect him." she whispered at which the Elf-lord smiled. Both Legolas and Gimli had offered Frodo their allegiance in the quest and even Boromir. Frodo seemed a bit surprised, as if he hadn't expected it. Riley had sat in silence for long while thinking and the more he thought the more he felt like something told him he ought to go with Frodo. He couldn't explain it but he had given up on trying to explain things he could not understand a long time ago.

"I'll go with you," he said "I have some skill with a sword and I've seen battle."

"So will I," Maggie announced. "I may need to brush up on my swordsmanship though."

At this, Fili stood up. "No. Absolutely not!" he protested and suddenly and the Council fell silent. "It is far too dangerous! I have lost you once already and my heart could not bear to lose you again. I do not want you to join them!"Elrond, talk sense into her.."

"The hell I won't!" Maggie snapped "Fee, I literally helped you guys reclaim Erebor and fought a _dragon_!

"Indeed you did," said Elrond "And you also gained several injuries along the way and nearly died on more than one occasion."

"Okay, _you're _not helping." Maggie turned to Fee "And _you're _supposed to be on my side!"

"_Melemin_, I am always on your side. We both are, but I just think that perhaps you need not jump to conclusions. Fili is trying to keep you safe and that is very much my wish too."

"Thank you Lord Elrond." said Fili, triumphantly. "Maggie, please see some sense. This is not the Quest for Erebor."

While Maggie argued with Fili and Elrond, Riley turned to Frodo who looked very puzzled by the whole thing.

"Melemin?" whispered Frodo to Gandalf "Isn't that Elvish for 'my love'" he asked curiously

"It is indeed my dear Frodo." the wizard replied "King Fili and Lord Elrond are Maggie's lovers, you see. They've been through a great deal together."

"_Lovers_?" But, she's human and not from this world. I don't understand."

Riley would have laughed if they timing wasn't poor. The next person to speak up, was Theo, who had been sitting at Elrond's side in silence for most of the meeting.

"_Ada,_ if I may speak." Theo said "Is it not true that the last time Mother and Uncle were here it was for a reason? Well, maybe this time, this is the reason. There is also a prophecy, is there not? It seems to me that they're supposed to help with this quest. _Ada_, you and cousin Fili both know that they are both very capable of it. After all, that is all I've ever been told growing up. That my mother was both a fair maiden and fierce warrior as well as my uncle. Surely the Valar would not wish for us to go against their will." Theo was right of course and Elrond couldn't argue with that, especially when he knew what Galadriel had told him before.

"Very well," said the Elf-lord admitting defeat. "Am I to take it that you also wish to join them, _ion_?"

"Yes. The prophecy mentions that six people will aid the fellowship and I believe I am one of them."

"Hey!" It was Sam who had suddenly jumped out of a bush which had caught everyone off guard. "Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"

"Well no, it is hardly possible to separate you two even when he is summoned to a secret meeting and you are not." Elrond replied. Merry and Pippin also fell out from their hiding place and Riley just rolled his eyes.

"We're going too!" Merry announced

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest…thing."

"Well that rules you out Pip." Merry said

"16 companions; so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great!" Pippin exclaimed enthusiastically "Where are we going?"

* * *

Planning and preparing for the journey would take at least two weeks, which was fine by Maggie because it gave them all time to get ready. It also meant Maggie had two weeks with Elrond and Fili, which she was very excited about. Hearing Theo refer to Elrond as 'father' surprised her at first, but it also made sense because he had been raised in Rivendell alongside Aragorn, who he probably saw as his brother. That night, the elves hosted a feast in Elrond's House to celebrate the reunion of friends and the forging of the Fellowship. It had been a very long time since so many races gathered in peace for a common occasion. The Great Hall was decorated in a way Maggie had never seen before. It was buzzing with life and laughter, despite the trials that lay before them. Even Bilbo had come out to join the party and Maggie was glad to see.

Once everyone was gathered, Lord Elrond stood up with a glass in his hand. The Great Hall fell silent.

"It is a perilous time for Middle-Earth and as the evil of Sauron spreads there is reason to be cautious." Elrond said. "But it is during these dark times that we must turn to the light and seek that which gives us strength. Evil cannot persevere if we remember what brings us together. Even the darkness of Sauron cannot penetrate the bonds of friendship, family and of love. Tonight, we celebrate those bonds of Fellowship."

Everyone cheered and the party carried on. It didn't take long before Felix, Laura and Nat experienced the potency of Elvish and dwarrow alcohol. Felix and Riley were the first ones to show signs of inebriation and Maggie laughed at their hijinks with Merry and Pippin. The girls also enjoyed themselves. Nat seemed to spend most of the evening talking with Theo while Laura was enjoying the company of Frodo and Sam. No doubt they would all wake up with hangovers in the morning, but it was a special occasion. As for Maggie, the evening reminded her a little of the night at the tavern in Lake Town with Bard, Brenna and the Company. There was certainly just as much dancing and drinking. Dwarves, it turned out, were surprisingly sure-footed when it came to dancing and Gloin had a few years of practice on his hands.

"Having a good time, _givashel_?" Fili asked as Maggie twirled right into his arms on the floor. She replied with a kiss and wrapped her arms around him. As they moved together, perhaps Riley was right, she thought, and maybe tonight would be a reprise of the birthday she shared with Elrond and Fili.

"Maggie," Fili whispered, "Marry me."

For a moment, Maggie wasn't sure she believed what Fili just said and let out a chuckle of disbelief. When Fili's expression remained unchanged, Maggie's heart began to beat faster.

"What?" she asked "Fee, I'm leaving soon."

"Exactly!" Fee said "_Amralime_, I have waited _sixty _years to be with you again and if this quest is as dangerous as the prophecy has foretold, I cannot wait any longer. I meant what I said all those years ago at your birthday party. If I cannot have you then I will not have anyone. I am King of Erebor now and I would very much like to have you as my queen."

"What about-?"

"Elrond knows that I wish to marry you. He has no problem with it and it certainly will not change what you have. In fact, I have asked him to officiate the marriage."

Fili gently took Maggie's hand and knelt down in front of her. Once again, the Great Hall fell silent and all eyes were on them. Maggie felt her face flush a hot red colour and the tears started streaming before she even realised it. She had flashbacks to when Thorin proposed to her in Lake Town, but she wasn't sad, she was excited. Maggie looked up and briefly met Elrond's warm eyes. _It is true, _she heard his voice inside her head, _Fili wishes to marry you and that thought fills my own heart with joy. I still wish to share my life with you and I love you more than I can say with words, but I have already been married once. If you wish to marry Fili, you have my blessing, although you do not need it. _

"Margaret Spencer, will you marry me and become my queen?" Fili asked "And share with me this lifetime and all the others?"

Maggie only nodded and as she responded to Fili's question with a kiss, the world fell away around her and it was just the two of them.

_**To be continued….**_

* * *

_**A long-ish chapter which maybe wasn't the most interesting one. But everyone's back together, the Fellowship has been forged and a surprise marriage proposal! I figured I want things to be light and happy for a while before things get more serious. Is everyone else in character? Let me know what you think?**_


	4. The Fellowship Departs

**A/N: Another update! I wrote the two chapters quite close to each other so enjoy! I normally don't do the montage-thing but I figured for this chapter it made sense. This chapter is also not as long as all the other ones but I hope you like it nonetheless. **

Inspiration for Maggie's wedding dress and accessories:

/20-marvelous-blue-wedding-dress-that-look-more-beautiful-25330/blue-wedding-dress-with-veils-2

listing/541964701/crystal-and-pearl-hair-vine-babys-breath?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=wedding+hair+accessories&ref=sr_gallery-1-3&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&bes=1

listing/751855167/tiara-diadem-free-shipping-silver-elven?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=wedding+tiara+elf&ref=sr_gallery-2-6&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&cns=1

* * *

**FOUR**

_The Fellowship Departs _

Elves sure knew how to throw a party.

It carried on until early hours of the morning, but Fili and Maggie sneaked out earlier to celebrate their engagement in their own way. Fili had extended a private invitation to Elrond, if he wished to join them but the elf-lord politely declined because it was rude for a host to just disappear from a celebration. That said, he did say he would certainly take them up on their offer at another opportune moment. Maggie had a feeling there would be plenty of those over the next two weeks because if memory served, they were in for a long journey with the Fellowship. The thought of being able to enjoy more private and x-rated moments with both of her men filled Maggie with childish glee and all her sadness over the past few days had all but simmered away.

Maggie and Fili very much enjoyed their first night together in a very long time. To say that Fili was lust-filled and impatient was an understatement. If most people weren't already passed out from a night of drunkenness, they rest would surely have heard them. Not that either of them cared and Maggie spent the night in a blissful state in Fili's company. Just like she had done for the past few nights, Maggie rose early, with the arms of her sleeping blonde dwarf beside her. Her stomach growled again and she carefully removed Fili's arms, got dressed and sneaked out of the bedroom. _I wonder if Elrond stocks oatmeal cookies, _she wondered as she walked through the hallways.

"Maggie!"

Laura's voice caught Maggie by surprise and when she turned around, she saw her friend still dressed in yesterday's clothes. Not to mention her room was in a different part of Elrond's House, which could only mean she had spent the night elsewhere. A thought that greatly amused Maggie.

"Where have you been?" Maggie asked with faux-suspicion in her voice

"Nowhere…" Laura blatantly lied "Okay, maybe somewhere."

_So, _Maggie thought, _I'm not the only one who has had a good night._

"Do I want to know?"

Another set of footsteps reached their ears and they saw Nat trying to sneak away from them. She was also dressed in the same clothes and just like Laura, her room was in a different part of Elrond's House. In fact, Elrond had given the girls rooms next to each other and Maggie had her old suite back. Of course, she hadn't spent a single night in there yet and she wondered how it would feel. The last time she slept in that bedroom was when Theo was only a baby and had trouble sleeping at night.

"Nat?" Laura asked "_You're_ doing the walk of shame?"

Nat turned around to them and in the surrealism of the moment, the three girls burst out giggling. Maggie was reminded of their time at university when things like these happened during nights out. Not in their wildest dreams could any of them fathom experiencing similar things in Middle-Earth.

"Come on, I know a place where we can get some cookies and then we can talk."

A few minutes and a stolen cookie jar later, all three girls all sat on Maggie's bed.

"I gotta ask Maggie," Nat said as she reached for the cookie jar "What's it like?"

"What's what like?" Maggie asked

"You know, dating two of them?" Nat replied "Not only is Elrond an elf and Fili a dwarf, but they're pretty different people. Is it ever difficult?"

Maggie chuckled and was surprised the question hadn't been asked sooner. She realised that it must seem strange to an outsider. Having romantic and intimate relationships outside your own race was rare in Middle-Earth but to have two partners of different races was something new altogether. On earth, polyamory was nothing new at all and certainly not in the 21st century where all sorts of relationships and lifestyles were practiced and widely accepted. While Middle-Earth was fairly open-minded in some aspects, it still had a way to go when it came to more traditional parts of life such as marriage and love. The Shire was a fine example of that sort of conservative thinking and Maggie recalled the trouble Bilbo and Riley had after their own marriage, as they were not accepted in the Shire and so they had to live in Rivendell. Not that they minded living in Rivendell, they both loved it there but Maggie always wondered what Bilbo's life looked like upon his return to Hobbiton after such a long time away.

"It was difficult at first, figuring out all the details. When I first told them both how I felt, I hadn't even kissed either of them and Theo was just born. I didn't really think they wanted to share me, as it were, but by the time I brought it up they already talked about it and it just went from there." Maggie told them "The logistics of it were a bit awkward at first, like deciding who would sleep in my bed during what nights. When to have private moments, intimate or otherwise. I remember feeling so awkward and completely terrified. They were so good about all of it and after a while it was just natural. Some nights I spent with Elrond, some nights with Fee and sometimes it was just me and Theo."

As the old memories resurfaced Maggie smiled and she wondered if there would be enough time over the next two weeks to relive some of those moments.

"How did everyone else react?" Nat curiously wondered. "Like the other dwarves and elves and Kili's mother. I hear she's a bit intimidating.."

"Oh Dis is fucking terrifying." Maggie chuckled "To this day, she still scares me. She definitely wasn't happy, but she didn't really have a choice. Everyone else was great though and they just accepted it as the most natural thing in the world."

It was such a relief to finally tell Nat and Laura about everything Maggie had experienced in Middle-Earth. While she had friends like Tauriel, for an incredibly long time she was surrounded by men. They were all lovely, kind and supportive but there were just some things that she could not speak with them about. Not even her brother and therefore it was beyond wonderful to have her two best friends there with her.

"Real talk though." Nat announced as she stole a cookie off Laura's hand. "What's the sex like?"

Maggie's cheeks flushed red. That was the other thing she missed talking about and the heat on her face reminded her how long it had been since anyone had asked her questions like that. Even though Riley was a great brother, as well as open-minded, there were some things you just couldn't divulge to your older sibling.

"It's pretty damn amazing." She said "They're both so different, it's difficult to explain."

"Try us," Laura urged "Don't leave out any details. Have you guys ever had a threesome?"

"Laura!" Maggie buried her face in the pillow.

"OH MY GOD!" Nat shrieked "You have! _Come on_, who can you tell if not your girlfriends?"

"Okay fine!" Maggie stuck her tongue out at her friend "I thought Elrond would be the gentle one, given his grace and the way he carries himself and sometimes he is, but he's more firm and he knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. I've tried figuring out how to push his buttons but he's sneaky. It's actually really frustrating, which he knows so sometimes he'll just make me wait. When it's the two of them, I don't stand a chance at outsmarting them."

"So, Elrond is secretly kinky?" Nat giggled "Who'd have thought! What about Fee?"

"Fee is more driven by his lust and acts purely on instinct. Most dwarves do and it's usually quite heated." Maggie said "He doesn't hold back but at the same time he's very calculative. Although, it's also much easier to tease him, because he has much less self-control. Something he proved well when we left the party."

"I suppose Elrond does have a few thousand years experience of learning how to contain his excitement, being a Lord and everything." Laura teased and lay back on the bed

"You have no idea how good it is to tell you guys about all of this." Maggie sighed "I wanted to, so many times but I doubt you'd have believed me."

"You're probably right about that. I'm so sorry Maggie, it must have been really lonely for you."

"It was but, we're all here now."

A rare moment of silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable silence.

"I still can't believe we are in Middle-Earth and about to join the Fellowship." Nat said "No matter how many times I say it, it still feels surreal."

"Yeah," Maggie chuckled. "It'll feel like that for a while but then it just sort of becomes normal. Almost like you wonder why you ever doubted it was real in the first place."

"You two love it here," Laura realised. "You and Riley. We can tell by how everyone treats you guys like family and how happy you are. "

Maggie nodded.

"Middle-Earth is home." she explained "In more ways than one really given that my family is here. Aragorn is technically my sort of great-great whatever great nephew. Then there's Theo, dad and Elrond."

"Not to mention your soon-to-be husband." Nat said "You're marrying a dwarf king!"

"Have you decided when?" Laura asked "What will happen with Elrond?"

"Before we leave, I think."Maggie replied "Fili would have married me in our bedroom, if I hadn't told him we needed to prepare at least a few things. As for Elrond, nothing will change. I'll just have a husband and a boyfriend instead of two boyfriends."

The more Maggie thought about it, the more she realised she felt at peace with her decision. She was excited to get married and it was another one of those things she never thought she would do after Thorin. It felt right in many ways and she was glad that nothing changed between her, Fili and Elrond. If anything, it seemed like Elrond and Fili grew closer over the years, which made sense because they both raised Theo together. All in all, Maggie was extremely lucky and she hoped that perhaps that maybe Nat and Laura would find the same happiness she had in Middle-Earth.

* * *

The week following the feast was mainly spent preparing for their journey and for Fili and Maggie's wedding. They both settled on a fairly small and private affair with their closest friends and family. All the Fellowship were invited to attend, even Boromir although more than anything, the son of Gondor seemed confused. He was polite enough to hold his tongue and not speak ill in front of anyone, but Maggie was sure he found it strange for a human to marry a dwarf. She wondered if he felt like an outside, because out of all the people in the Fellowship, Boromir was the one least familiar with everyone else. A part of Maggie felt that perhaps she had been harsh on him and maybe even judged him too quickly.

She did try speaking with him but her attempts at polite conversation was met with awkwardness and she figured maybe that was just his nature. Laura definitely had more luck and sometimes, Maggie caught them going for strolls in the gardens and Boromir seemed comfortable in her presence. There was a part of Maggie that felt guilty, because she knew the Lord of the Rings very well, but Laura didn't, which meant she was unaware of Boromir's fate. One night, she spoke with Nat and wondered if perhaps they ought to tell her, but Maggie knew more than anyone that sometimes fate could be changed. Fili and Kili never died during the battle of the five armies so maybe Boromir wouldn't die either? In the end, they decided to let Laura have her happiness, wherever it may lead to. After all, they all loved their friend.

When the day of the wedding finally arrived, Maggie was filled with dread, excitement and nausea all at the same time. She'd never been one of those women who dreamed about fairytale weddings as a little girl. Now that the day was here, she understood why people got so excited. She'd already learned long ago that elves knew how to party, but until her wedding day she hadn't realised how talented they were at designing clothes. Elrond had commissioned the best seamstress in Imladris to create Maggie's wedding dress and when she looked at herself in the mirror, her jaw nearly drapped. She wore a veiled long blue dress that flowed like water, with jewellery in her hair that glittered like starlight in the sunshine. If Fili's expression was anything to judge by, it was a look that suited her. Fili himself was more gorgeous than usual and Maggie found herself blushing whenever she looked up at him.

Elrond officiated the wedding and after he gladly pronounced them husband and wife, it was time for another surprise. Maggie assumed that any sort of coronation would take place in Erebor, with the rest of the kingdom present but apparently, they only needed a Wizard to make the announcement. Maggie was sure everyone else could hear her heart beating out of her chest as Gandalf placed the tiara on her head, but as soon as Fili gently squeezed her hand, she felt calm again.

"I crown you, Margaret Spencer, Queen of Erebor -the last Dwarf Kingdom of Middle-Earth. May you live out your days in peace. Long live the queen!"

The crowd joined in "Long live the queen!"

"Gimli are you crying?" Nat asked

"I can't help it," Gimli replied and wiped his tears. "Us dwarves are very sentimental when it comes to romance."

Naturally, celebrations followed and while Maggie was happy but there was also a sense of melancholy over it because she knew all too well this was probably the last time things would be as peaceful. Of course she was preparing for the journey with the Fellowship, but no matter how much they talked about it or how much she tried to remember all the events, she knew it wouldn't really help. The quest to Erebor had proved that knowing things didn't necessarily mean they would come to pass. The five of them had all agreed not to divulge any information to the Fellowship, no matter what happened.

"May I steal your bride?" Elrond asked "I will only be a moment."

"You certainly may," Fili replied, "Although try to return her in one piece?."

A spark of mischief showed in Elrond's eyes. "I can make no such guarantees, Your Majesty."

Maggie took Elrond's arm and they strolled from the wedding reception, down the path to the garden. They had just about a week left in Rivendell and Maggie already knew that missing Elrond and Fili was going to be more difficult than it had ever been.

"You are a vision." Elrond told her "And you look happy."

"I am very happy and completely smitten." Maggie replied "I'm so incredibly lucky to have you both."

"We are also lucky, _melemin_."

As dusk fell and the last rays of sunshine shone over the Hidden Valley, Maggie found herself standing on a very familiar stone bridge, over a stream of water. For a long time, this hidden spot had been their sacred place, away from the noise of everything else. Here, there was peace and tranquility and as Maggie looked up at Elrond, she felt as if time itself stood still. The elf-lord gently took her hands and for a while they stood there in a comfortable silence.

"You are scared." Maggie realised "You're worried about what will happen with the Fellowship."

"I am frightened because I do not wish to lose you again." Elrond said "Perhaps what frightens me even more is that I know I have no choice but to let you go."

"I will be back." Maggie assured him, "After all, I've lived through one quest already."

Fear was a trait that rarely made itself known in the Lord of Rivendell, yet with Maggie he never hid how he truly felt. She gently stroked his soft cheeks with her thumb and he placed his hand over hers and kissed it softly.

"_Le melithon anuir," _Elrond confessed "_Guren min gaim lín_." (I will love you forever, my heart is in your hands)

"_Gi melethig." _Maggie replied_. "Gin melathon an-uir." (_You are my love and I will love you for eternity)_. _

It was Elrond who closed the distance between with a kiss, Maggie swore to herself that no matter what it took, she would come back to Elrond and Fili.

* * *

Riley sat on a chair in Bilbo's room, with a cup of tea in his hand. It was a warm November afternoon and only two days before their departure from Rivendell. To say that he was nervous was a grave understatement, but he tried his best to keep the nerves in check and make the most of the time he had left in Rivendell. He knew this was probably the last time he would see Bilbo in a very long time. Even at his old age, these past two weeks had filled Bilbo with such joy and such youth. Even Frodo said he had never seen the old hobbit quite so energetic before, which is why the idea of leaving everything behind again so much more awful.

The one thing that had worried Riley since their arrival in Rivendell, was Bilbo's feelings for him. He thought perhaps they'd changed or faded or that things would be awkward and not the same as they were. That was all nonsense of course and while he was much older, he was still the same old Bilbo he always had been. The same old Bilbo that Riley loved more than life itself. He didn't necessarily doubt their place in the fellowship, but he couldn't help but play with the idea of what would happen if they simply did not go. For the past two weeks, Riley and his sister had pretty much gotten their old lives back on track. Hell, Maggie was married now and Queen of Erebor. It seemed strange that either of them should have to leave everything behind again to go do the Valar's bidding.

Still, a prophecy was a prophecy. The one part of it that worried Riley was the part that said 'one of them shall fall'. It had to mean Boromir, right? He was the only one that made sense, yet Riley had a gnawing suspicion that it wasn't quite so simple. It was a thought that unsettled him and he decided to cast it aside and enjoy the moments he had left. Felix, Laura and Nat were actually getting pretty excited about the whole thing, and why wouldn't they? Apart from Laura, the other two were just as well-versed in Tolkien literature as Riley and his sister. In fact, he recalled several times when they would read all of them as young children. The first time they heard the Hobbit, every single play time was dictated by Nat who decided they should all build their own hobbit holes (aka blanket forts) and fill them with delicious food and comforts.

If only the younger versions of themselves could see them now.

"Here, here! Take it!" said Bilbo's excited voice and RIley snapped out of his daydreaming "This is sting!"

Riley watched as Frodo weighed the familiar sword in his hand. He remembered clearly the day Bilbo first found Sting in the troll's cave. It was the very first day the appeared in Middle-Earth and ran into Thorin and Company. It was strange how something that happened so long again (60 years to some) could also seem like only yesterday.

"It's so light." Frodo commented

"Yes!" Bilbo said "It's made by the elves you know! And it glows blue when orcs are nearby! It's times like that when you have to be extra careful, my lad."

"Certainly warned us of trouble on more than one occassion." Riley added. "It'll be a good sword for you, Riley."

"Yes Uncle," Frodo replied and nodded.

For some reason, Frodo had taken to referring to Riley as uncle, which he still wasn't used to. He knew it was a sign of affection and respect. He could only imagine that Frodo must have grown up hearing stories about Riley and Maggie. The next thing Bilbo grabbed out of his pile was a familiar shirt given to him long ago by Thorin. Frodo looked even more amazed when he held the shirt in his hand.

"Mithril!" Bilbo exclaimed "As light as a feather and as hard as a dragon's scale! Let me see you put it on!"

Frodo excited began to unbutton his shirt, but then something changed in Bilbo's voice that also caught Riley's attention.

"Oh! My old ring! I should very much like to hold it again, one last time."

Frodo quickly buttoned up his shirt and as he did Bilbo reached out and hissed aggressively at the young hobbit. Riley immediately stood up and grabbed Bilbo as he staggered back into Riley's arms.

"I'm sorry I brought this upon you my boy." Bilbo apologised "I'm sorry that you must carry this burden."

Frodo reached out to his uncle but Bilbo instead turned and sobbed into Riley's arms. Riley had almost forgotten how the ring affected his husband and now that he saw it himself, it was more than enough of a motivator that it had to be destroyed at all cost. Even if it did mean leaving Bilbo behind for the time being. As Riley's eyes met Frodo's, he knew that the brown-haired hobbit felt exactly the same thing.

* * *

Too soon came the day for the fellowship to depart. Each of its members spent their last hours in Rivendell saying goodbye to the people whom they would not see for a long time. In one way, Maggie was glad that Theo was with them but knowing the dangers ahead, she wondered what kind of mother she was to allow her son to go on such a dangerous quest. Maggie had said her goodbyes to Fili and Elrond, but seeing them standing there at the gates of the Hidden Valley made everything suddenly seem so real.

"The Ring Bearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom." said Elrond "You who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid upon you to go further than you will. Farewell, hold to your purpose. May the blessings of elves, men and all free-folk go with you."

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring Bearer." Gandalf announced

Frodo seemed to take a few moments to collect himself and then turned around to lead the way out of Rivendell. One by one, they all followed him and when it was only Maggie left, she turned around and took one last glance at her husband and her partner. She didn't need any words to know what the look in their eyes meant.

"Come on sis," Riley said as he put his arms around Maggie, sensing her sadness. "Let's do this together."

They only walked for a short while until Gandalf suddenly blocked their path. No matter how well Maggie and Riley knew Gandalf and how much of a friend he was, it was always intimidating to have a wizard give you a word of caution.

"The five of you, you know things," said the wizard "I can see it in your eyes. But hear this; it would be wise to keep such knowledge amongst yourselves and tell no one." he said and then walked up to Frodo at the front.

"Gandalf, which way is Mordor, left or right." Frodo asked

"Left,"

And so their journey was begun.

_**To be continued…..**_

* * *

_**And they're off! This is not the most amazing chapter I've written and I struggled with it as well because I wanted some key things to happen but I didn't want to drag out their time in Rivendell. Maybe if I have time I'll do some sort of DVD extras fic with all the bits that didn't quite make the final cut. What did you think about everyone's interactions? Is there anything you'd like to read? I'm also taking suggestions for ships. I don't want Maggie and Riley to be the only ones with romance! Also, I know the wedding was kind of rushed but I don't want Maggie's storyline to overshadow everything because the other four are also important.**_

_**Anyway leave a review/comment! **_


	5. Over Sea, Under Stone

And I'm back! I've only been posting on Ao3 for a while but I've been missing so I'm back. After all this is where I began writing and I want a chance to finish this story here as well. If you're new to this series, you can totally read this one as a standalone but for context I highly recommend going back to the beginning and start with "Castaways". If you like it, let me know and leave a review!

Enjoy!

FIVE

Over Sea, Under Stone

Laura had never been much of an outdoorsy person. Throughout the years, the others always joked and said she was a hobbit at heart because of her fondness of comfort and home. It was her dream to one day own a cottage with a small garden where she could have her vegetable patch and a hammock to read in during warm summer days. After having spent time with Sam and the other hobbits, she now began to understand where the hobbit-joke originated from. Not to mention she certainly had curly hair to match the hobbits, even though hers was much longer. Even Merry thought that perhaps Laura had some hobbit-blood in her genes and he'd seemed immensely disappointed when she told him that in their world hobbits did not exist.

Ever since they left Rivendell, Gandalf's words of caution repeated themselves all over in Laura's mind. She'd certainly seen the Lord of the Rings once or so, but high fantasy wasn't her genre of choice, she preferred cozy mysteries and the likes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. She didn't know the story as well as the others did, so there was certainly no risk of her spilling beans that she should not.

Spending the past two weeks in Rivendell had given Laura a fair amount of time to truly consider everything that was happening to her. She was in Middle-Earth, a place that was supposed to be fictional but somehow was very real and she was about to embark on probably the most important quest in the history of this world. She couldn't for the life of her understand why she was chosen to be a part of it. Maggie and Riley spoke about the Valar, who were apparently some god-like entities responsible for the creation and fate of Middle-Earth. It still made little sense to Laura, who never liked adventures even as a child. Other friends would go off running in the woods and she would rather stay home with a book or her drawings. She was no hero, unlike Maggie and Riley who were treated like they were the stuff of legend.

All the tension between Maggie and Riley over the past year made sense now, at least. The feuding and the not speaking to each other. She'd heard both sides of the story and thought they'd both acted foolishly to some extent, but on a whole she agreed with Maggie. Riley should have told her about this prophecy as soon as he had a moment. While being in a whole different world was a strange thing for Laura and the others to get used to, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like for Riley and especially Maggie. Having to leave behind your newborn son against your will, not knowing when or if you'd be able to see him again. Then to suddenly be cast back into this world, sixty years later in this timeline and to finding out your son is almost old enough to be your own grandfather. Maggie had missed out on Theo's whole childhood and he was an adult now. It was no wonder really, that she had been absolutely furious with Riley.

Even so, things seemed to be back to normal between them, which was good because those first couple of days of tension had been difficult for all of them to deal with. That night at Nat's place, when they first decided to bring the two of them together, had all been Laura's idea. They all knew how stubborn both Maggie and Riley could be and they all agreed that the only way to end this fighting was by forcing them to talk to each other. In some ways, it worked, just not in the way they expected.

Now there they were, trekking through Middle-Earth on a dangerous question none of them knew the outcome of. Yet, amidst all the confusion, Laura had a strange feeling in her gut that told her this was where she was meant to be. She didn't understand all of it but she figured it was useless trying to argue with something that had clearly been decided long ago.

Being out on the road was so different and Laura already missed the safety of Rivendell. She immediately understood why Maggie loved it so much and Laura would have been happy to spend the remainder of their stay there. The elves were kind and she found peace in their gardens, where she would often walk with Boromir. The others seemed wary of him and she admitted that on the outside, he might seem harsh. Truthfully, he was kind natured and Laura enjoyed spending time with him. He asked her questions about their world and seemed curious about who she and the others were. When Laura asked about him, Boromir proudly spoke about Gondor - the land of his people where his father was the Steward. Apparently, he also knew Maggie's father, Lord Amandil (or Alan Spencer as Laura knew him). He said he was a good man but was in ill-favour with the steward because of his family's heritage. Boromir had no personal quarrel with the Lords of Andunie or House of Elros, but his family had guarded the throne of Gondor for over a century, without the need for a king to be sat upon it.

Their days on the road soon became routine. They would rise early in the morning, have breakfast and then pack up camp. Then, they would walk for a few hours until they had a break (usually at the request of the hobbits) and then walk again until it was time set camp for the night. Samwise gladly took responsibility over preparing and cooking delicious meals that kept their stomachs full through the night, even though he didn't have to use much in terms of ingredients. Even though she liked the comforts of a soft mattress, Laura learned she rather enjoyed sleeping under the clear night sky.

Maggie explained that during their travels with Thorin and Company, the dwarves would often sleep in piles as a way to keep themselves warm. Both Maggie and Riley got so used to it that it was weird to not sleep that way, although they were usually grateful for having more personal space. Some nights, Maggie said, she would find herself nestled between Fili and Kili for warmth.

The fact that Maggie was now queen was another strange thing Laura had to get used to. Obviously, she was beyond happy for her friend, but in her world, people didn't just become queens seemingly overnight. Things definitely worked differently in Middle-Earth though and Laura wondered what would happen when all of this was over. For Maggie and Riley, their fate was pretty much set in stone; they would stay in Middle-Earth and live out their lives. But what about Nat, Felix and herself? Was there even a way for them to return to their world where they had lives of their own. Laura had a job she loved as a librarian and she had plans of putting down a deposit to buy a house within the next year. She had even begun to look at houses in different parts of the city she lived in and couldn't wait to start going through Pinterest for decor inspiration. What would happen to her if she just stayed behind in Middle-Earth? Would people even notice that they were missing or would time somehow be different, just like in Narnia?

A myriad of questions whirled around in her mind and asLaura lay down on her makeshift bed that night, she exhaled a sigh and prayed to any higher power that would listen to her.

Please, she thought, show me a sign of any kind. Is this where am I meant to be?

Then, she turned around and closed her eyes, finally drifting into a deep slumber blissfully unaware that if you prayed in Middle-Earth, chances were very likely someone was indeed listening.

* * *

"I'd say we're taking the long way around. Gandalf, we could pass through the mines of Moria, my cousin Balin would give us a warm welcome."

Laura saw the glint of excitement in Maggie's eyes when Balin's name was mentioned. For most of the journey, she kept asking Theo and Gimli questions about how the other dwarves were doing. Thankfully, from what Laura gathered it seemed like they were all still alive and healthy. Before their departure from Rivendell, Gimli had sent a letter by raven (what the hell) to Erebor and told them about the reappearance of their two friends.

Laura liked Gimli a lot. He was kind, with a good sense of humour and spoke his mind no matter what the others thought. At that particular moment, they had paused atop a hill, deciding on their next route. Laura wasn't sure what the mines of Moria were, but the tone in Gandalf's voice scared her a little and she had a feeling that Gandalf was a wizard who did not scare easily. As he and Gimli discussed which direction to head, Laura saw Merry and Pippin practicing sword fighting with Boromir. Although it was more like he was being overthrown by the two hobbits who had him pinned down on the ground calling out 'for the Shire!'.

"No Gimli," said Gandalf. "I would not go through Moria unless I had no other choice."

"What's wrong with the mines of Moria?" Laura asked.

"Nothing at all, Miss Laura." Gimli replied proudly "Gandalf is being silly."

"There is a difference between being silly and being cautious, Master Dwarf. If a wizard is cautious, it would be wise to heed his words." Riley added. "At any rate, surely we are much safer going above ground than beneath it."

Laura and Maggie exchanged glances, knowing full well why Riley vouched for sticking to their original plan. For someone who didn't like being underground, being married to a hobbit must make things tricky because as Laura understood it, they literally lived in holes underground.

"You do not like being underground, Uncle?" Theo asked.

"Can't say I particularly care for it that much, Theo. It is called claustrophobia" Riley replied "Humans were not made for being underground any less than we are made to fly."

"But, do hobbits not live underground? How can you be married to a hobbit if you are unable to share the same housing?"

Riley turned to his sister who was trying to hide her giggling.

"Your son has clearly inherited your smartass sense of humour, Your Majesty." he told her.

"Call me Your Majesty one more time, Riley Spencer." Maggie warned him, "And I'll banish your sorry arse."

"Spoken like a true monarch!"

Maggie stuck her tongue out at her brother and Laura shook her head. Some things never changed but she was glad that the two siblings were back to their usual banter. Her gaze then fell on Legolas who was standing on a rock a few meters away, keeping an eye on for something far off in the distance. The elf seemed very focused and as Laura tried to figure out why, she soon saw something that appeared like a black cloud moving towards them. Except it didn't move like any cloud Laura had ever seen before and suddenly she found herself feeling scared for the first time since leaving Rivendell.

"What the hell is that?" Nat asked as she came to stand next to Laura.

"Nothing, it's just a bit of cloud." Gimli assured them

"It's moving fast and against the wind." said Boromir

"Yeah, way to point out the obvious Sherlock." Felix retorted

"Crebain," said Legolas in an alarmed voice. His eyes could see far better than anybody else's and he did not like what was coming towards them. "From Dunland!"

"Hide!" Aragorn called out and it only took a mere few seconds until they all had taken cover under what little space there was. The flock of birds, or whatever the hell they were passed by quickly and were soon out of sight but the fellowship still remained hidden until it the coast was truly clear.

"What were those?" Laura asked. Now she was beginning to feel truly afraid. Through most of her life, she hadn't done much traveling before, except for family holidays to the Isle of Wight and one to the Canary Islands on her 16th birthday and there was nothing particularly dangerous about either of those places. The reality of everything was beginning to sink in for her.

"Spies of Saruman, the passage south is being watched," Gandalf replied as he looked up at the sky mumbling something only audible to himself. "We must take the pass of Caradhras."

* * *

A few hours later and after trekking through even more difficult terrain, the fellowship, now with Gandalf in the front, were on top of a mountain. The most mountain Laura had ever seen was hiking up Snowdonia, which while impressive in its own right, was nothing like Caradhras. They were all struggling, except Legolas who was practically floating on top of the massive drifts of snow. Every now and then, Laura stooped deeper into the snow, only to be pulled up by Aragorn. Boromir was helping the hobbits by carrying them in his arms. Felix, Nat and Riley were helping each other, while Theo kept an eye on Maggie.

"If there's something I hate more than I hate rain, it's snow. It is wet, it's cold and it's deceitful." Maggie whined. She was practically up to her waist in snow and she was beginning to feel that even the elven cloak she was carrying wouldn't be enough to keep her warm. "And let me tell you something else, these shoes definitely ain't made for walking."

"I've never heard anyone describe snow as deceitful before." said Boromir with a chuckle. Something suddenly shook beneath them or maybe even all around them, it was difficult to tell and Felix could swear he heard a voice speaking but he couldn't make out exactly what it said.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouted

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must get off!" Aragorn replied.

"We cannot pass over the mountain!" said Gimli "We must go under it. Gandalf; let us go through the mines of Moria."

"Well whatever you decide, do it fast." said Felix "We don't exactly have a hell of a lot of time."

"Let the Ring Bearer decide." Gandalf commanded

Everyone's eyes fell on Frodo who looked immediately uncomfortable at the thought of having to make such an important decision. Laura had no idea what awaited them within the mines, but she knew that if it was enough to instill fear in Gandalf, then the rest of them should probably be at least a little concerned.

"We will go through the mines." Frodo decided

Laura caught the wizard's eyes and could almost feel his heart sink. It made the question even louder in her own mind: What was down in the mines of Moria?

* * *

Laura lost track of time, her feet and joints were all aching. It seemed like climbing down the mountain had taken half a life-time. They rested overnight and rose early to make the final journey towards the mines of Moria. Unlike the plains they'd walked from Rivendell, the area around the mountain were different. Here, the landscape was colder and more barren. There was a lake in front of the mountain but Laura had a feeling it wasn't the kind of lake one went swimming in, much like you didn't simply go for a splash in the Thames if you valued your health. They were all exhausted and took a moment to rest outside the stone door, while Gandalf desperately tried to figure out the password, albeit to no success.

"Bah, it's hopeless!" Gandalf muttered as he sat down on a rock. For the past 45 or so minutes the wizard had desperately tried to open the door which was the entrance to Moria but with no luck at all. None of the spells had worked and it was getting darker outside by the minute.

"Wizard huh?" Laura whispered to Maggie who just shrugged.

Maggie rested her head against Laura's shoulder and the two women both exhaled tired sighs. Despite Gandalf's own frustration, nobody seemed to mind the fact that they had a moment to catch their breaths.

"How are things going with Theo?" Laura asked curiously. "He seems rather protective of you? It's actually pretty sweet."

"That's the dwarrow side of him." Maggie replied. "All dwarves are protective of things that are theirs, family, loves. But yeah, Theo is amazing. Fili and Elrond did an amazing job raising him and he is every bit the gentleman I hoped he'd be. I feel really lucky because he could have easily festered angry emotions at me but instead, he's chosen to let me in. It'll be a long time before we truly get to know each other, and I have to remind myself that I can't really mother him because he's a grown man but I think things are going in the right direction."

"Dwarrow?"

"It is what the dwarves called themselves and it is the name Mahal gave them when he created them. They're a surprisingly religious race sometimes with lots of old customs and traditions that I do not always understand. I suppose I shall have to get used to them now."

Laura giggled as she listened to her friend.

"You sound like them you know." she teased "The way you speak, it's all medieval and like you've been living here for a very long time. Riley does it too, it's quite amusing."

"Just you wait," Maggie chuckled "It'll happen to you guys before you know it. By the way, things seem to be getting cozy with you and a certain Captain of Gondor."

Laura quickly hushed Maggie and felt her face flush red with heat. She immediately looked around her to make sure nobody could hear what they were saying. Luckily, Boromir was focused on a conversation with Riley and Felix and the others were too busy doing their own thing to notice them. It surprised Laura that the mention of Boromir's name made her so nervous so quickly.

"Ah, so you do fancy him." Maggie teased, "The feelings are definitely mutual, by the looks of it, have you guys talked about it?"

"There hasn't exactly been time and how can you be sure it's mutual?" Laura said "Besides, he is much older than I am and maybe it isn't appropriate what with everything going on."

"You're making excuses and by the way he keeps looking at you, it's definitely mutual. Also, age is just a number. I mean come on girl, my husband is 142 years old and my boyfriend is literally thousands of years old. Boromir is what? Early forties, I think?"

"You think he wouldn't find it weird?"

Maggie shook her head and wrapped her arms around Laura. Out of the five of them, Laura and Maggie had always been the closest. Of course they were both close with Natalie and they loved her like a sister, but Laura and Maggie had more in common when it came to their personalities. They were both more introverted whereas Nat and the boys were extroverts at heart and loved being around people.

"Wait a minute….it's a riddle." said Frodo who now stood up. "'Speak friend and enter' What's the Elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon." said both Maggie and Gandalf at the same time.

"You speak Elvish?" Nat asked and raised an eyebrow at Maggie.

"It's a very long story." Maggie replied and glanced at Legolas who gave her a smile in reply. As Riley looked up at the entrance to Moria he was honestly beginning to feel a little nervous and breathed heavily. He didn't like small spaces, not that Moria was necessarily small but it was dark and it was underground and didn't exactly help. Natalie put a comforting arm around Riley and the fellowship, one by one walked into the darkness that was Moria. What happened in the next few seconds went by so quickly Laura couldn't quite recall it all. Something happened when they were inside, long tentacles grabbed Frodo and tried to pull him out back into the water.

"Hold on Frodo!" Legolas shot an arrow right through the creature, which Laura thought looked a bit like Cthulhu but she kept that bit to herself. Aragorn and Boromir were both able to cut off the creature's tentacles and in its own defence it smashed down the rocks which left the fellowship standing in the darkness but Frodo was safe.

As the door shut behind them, Laura saw nothing but darkness and she understood now why Riley didn't like closed spaces.

"We now have but one choice," said Gandalf as his staff lit up their way. It was amazing, Laura thought, and incredibly beautiful in a strange way. They were standing right in the middle of one long hallway with gigantic stone pillars around them. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

"Oh that's comforting." said Riley, not hiding his sarcasm.

"You alright mate?" Felix asked

"Oh I'm fabulous; this right here, my idea of fun."

"It will be alright, Uncle." Frodo assured him. "We're all here."

"Quietly now," Gandalf warned them. He was more than unhappy about being here but they couldn't exactly turn back around so in the end this was the lesser of two evils. "It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope our presence goes by unnoticed."

"Four days? Bloody fantastic! Kill me now, why don't you?" But Riley was going to have to suck it up and continue walking because things were about to get a whole lot worse.

* * *

Eventually, the days started to blend together and the darkness of the mines began to take its toll on everyone, especially Riley who had a panic attack a few hours before they stopped. Gandalf was lost, which wasn't really surprising considering the size of Moria. Laura couldn't even begin to describe how surreal it was to be under a mountain and in what was apparently a dwarf kingdom. Although for a kingdom it was deadly silent, a fact which nobody liked and though no one said a word about it, Laura could tell they were all uncomfortable.

"Ah! That's it! That way!" Gandalf called out

"Thank fuck," Riley exclaimed and couldn't be more relieved.

"He's remembered!" Merry said excitedly

"No," said Gandalf "But there air doesn't smell so foul down there. If in doubt Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

They followed Gandalf down a path and suddenly, the space felt much wider than it had previously done and as the wizard staff once more lit up, Laura's jaw almost literally dropped as she took in the view in front of her.

"Behold, the great dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." said Gandalf as he lit up the massive dwarf city. Maggie had to admit that it was rather breathtakingly as she looked up at the different levels above her.

"Well, wouldn't that be a cover photo for Facebook?" said Nat. Gandalf led the way through the halls of the city, all of them awestruck by their surroundings.

"Oh bugger it!"

"What?" Laura asked and turned to Maggie.

"I just remembered I left my phone back in Rivendell." Maggie explained "It still has some batteries in it."

"Ah, don't you fret my dear Margaret." said Felix as he reached into one of his pouches and pulled out his mobile phone. The pure screams of joy by Maggie, Laura and Natalie made Boromir jump a little but they quickly quieted down when Gandalf shot them a very stern 'be silent' look. They walked on for a few minute's until something seemed to have caught Gimli's attention. The dwarf stopped in his steps and appeared to be confused at first, like he wasn't sure what to think. That's when Riley realised and saw the piles of crushed skeletons in the room and then a mortified Gimli running in through doors, sobbing loudly.

"NO!"

"Gimli!"

"Oh my god…." Laura whispered and grabbed Felix's arm. "What…" she looked around herself and wasn't sure what to think or what to say. She stepped on something beneath her that cracked and as she looked down it was another bone. Gandalf had walked up the stone altar in the middle and opened up the book that lay there.

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria'. He is dead, then. It's as I had feared.'" he read which made everyone feel more than a little uncomfortable.

Laura turned to Maggie whose face turned white as a sheet and tears began to stream down her face. Riley was also crying and not even he tried to hide it, stoic as he usually was. It was clear to Laura that the dwarves were much more than friends. They were their family and even though they probably were aware of his fate because of their knowledge of the story, it must still have come as a shock to her.

"We must move on." Legolas whispered "We cannot linger here."

Gandalf didn't reply, he just continued reading. "They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long...the ground shakes...drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no- one save us? They are coming."

"'They'?" Nat asked "Who the fuck are 'they'?"

A sudden noise made them all jump and all eyes turned to Pippin and the young hobbit looked exceptionally guilty. He'd been standing by what looked like a well and accidentally pushed in an old suit of armour.

"Fool of a Took!" the wizard scolded "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

"Uhm, not to make it worse but, Frodo's blade is glowing and that is not a euphemism." Riley pointed out and Frodo pulled out Sting which was glowing bright blue.

"Yeah what the hell does that mean?" Laura asked

"Orcs!" replied Legolas

They weren't so much orcs as goblins but they had come from out of nowhere and it was impossible to count how many they were but Felix had to guess there were dozens of them. Maybe even more. They burst through the doors which caught everyone off guard and then came the next thing; loud and heavy footsteps and the sound of drums that clearly belonged to something a hell of a lot of bigger than anyone or anything else in that room.

"I know I'll regret this, but what is that?" Felix asked nervously

"Oh. They have a cave troll." Boromir replied sarcastically to Aragorn and Riley who were holding back the second door but soon decided it was pointless because neither of them wanted to be crushed by the troll. Troll, Laura thought, I don't know why I didn't see that one coming?

Laura froze for a moment as she stared into the eyes of one of the goblins. Brief flashbacks hit her and memories of being captured by orcs had her almost paralyzed until Riley pulled her aside and she snapped out of it.

"Laura, Jesus, use your blade." he told her and Laura suddenly remembered that they had been given weapons before their departure in Rivendell. In fact, most of the two weeks had been spent preparing for combat and being trained by both Aragorn and Theo. Laura wasn't particularly good at it but she got the basics.

Even so, Laura struggled in combat; combat was difficult and not as exciting as the movies made it seem and her sword was more the size of a large knife anyway. The lesson she'd had in Rivendell could only get her so far and quite frankly, she was scared senseless. I don't belong here, Laura thought; I wish I was back home. She wasn't supposed to fight battles in some universe she didn't even know existed. As far as Laura was concerned, she was supposed to be back in her room at university eating takeout with her friends. However, she didn't have time to think more about home because when Laura turned around she found herself staring right in the face with a crossbow aimed right at her. Suddenly, the goblin squealed and fell dead before her feat and Laura saw Boromir in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked

"Yeah. Thanks." Laura replied

"Remind me to give you more lessons in sword fighting."

"How about starting now?" At that remark Boromir cut off the head of a goblin passing by and when he turned back to Laura, he nodded.

"Aye," he said "It's a deal."

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Sam called out enthusiastically as he was fighting off goblins and doing pretty good at it.

"Yeah, you and me both!" Felix was at his side and was enjoying it a lot more than he'd intended to. Goblins were disgusting creatures and it felt like the more they killed the more kept coming back. They reminded him quite a bit like cockroaches. The cave troll however, was a lot more frightening and more difficult to kill. Laura had just managed to take cover from a goblin when she suddenly saw the troll grasping Frodo and threw him right across the room in the wall piercing a spear through his chest.

"Frodo!" she shouted and both she and Sam ran up to the hobbit. In the background Merry and Pippin had turned to fighting the troll when Legolas fired an arrow which finally had it falling dead on the floor.

"Frodo please don't die." Laura whispered and to her surprise, as well as everyone else's, Frodo suddenly shook awake and looked at her.

"I'm not dead, Laura" he assured her "I'm alright." He opened up his shirt and when Gimli saw what he was wearing underneath it and that the spear hadn't harmed him at all, the dwarf chuckled.

"Mithril; you're full of surprises Master Baggins."

"Speaking of which," said Maggie as she heard more footsteps and what sounded like drums banging not so far in the distance

"To the bridge of Khazad Dum!" Gandalf told them and they ran. Not that they managed to get very far because once they got out in the large hall they soon found themselves surrounded by goblins.

"For the record," said Nat in a whisper "If I die now, I'm going to haunt all of your arses."

Riley was about to reply back but something cut him off; something that sent the goblins scattering off back to wherever they came from and the fellowship were alone again. Except of course they weren't really alone. The first thing Felix saw that set his heart beating almost out of his chest was an orange glow around the corner at the far end of the hall.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked

"I'm, uh…I'm gonna guess and say that that's not a good thing." said Riley

"No Master Riley. A balrog; a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you, " Gandalf replied. Even the wizard was beginning to feel afraid "It is not a good thing. Run."

"Yeah, thought as much."

And they ran. Boy did they run.

* * *

Laura had never run so fast before in her life. She didn't know how she found the adrenaline to keep her going but then again she wasn't complaining. She didn't look back at the Balrog, she didn't dare and she prayed to whatever deities that would hear her that they would all get out of this alive. Laura couldn't tell how long they had run for or how far they had left; she just wanted to get out of there and get out into the open again, breathe proper air.

"I can see the bridge!" Felix yelled and so could they. It wasn't too far away at all and they were all beginning to think they would get out of this.

"That's the bridge?!" Maggie shouted "You've got to be shitting me!" But somehow they managed to get across the bridge; Legolas followed by Theo, Laura and Maggie; then Sam, Pippin and Merry, Riley, Felix and Boromir with Nat. Lastly, Aragorn and Frodo. All of them except Gandalf.

"What's he doing?" Felix asked when they turned around to Gandalf who was standing in the middle of the bridge, face to face with the balrog. "Is he insane?"

"He's saving us." Aragorn whispered.

Laura hadn't fully understood the gravity of their situation, until the Balrog was in their field of vision and Gandalf stood facing the demonic creature on the bridge. Laura's nostrils were overcome with a foul stench of sulfur and something else she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Watching the Balrog was like being in the middle of a horror movie and she couldn't understand how something so monstrous could possibly be real. It was only in that moment she truly realised the dangers of the quest she had agreed to go on.

"You shall not pass!"

Gandalf's voice echoed throughout the whole mountain and Laura felt it in the pit of her stomach.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow."

The balrog struck it's flaming sword against Gandalf but the light of his staff protected him. Laura watched in horror, unable to turned her eyes away.

"Go back to the shadow!"

An angry, unfrightened growl.

"YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!"

The cracking sound of a whip. A bridge collapsing.

Three final words of warning.

"Fly you fools."

Nobody could recall much of what happened next because it happened so quickly. Following Gandalf's command, there was a blindingly bright flash of light and the sound of a bridge collapsing beneath their feet. Laura's mind was overwhelmed and buzzing with a myriad of emotions. The only thing on anyone's mind was to get out as fast as possible. It was only when they actually got out of Moria that it hit them; Gandalf was gone. He had fallen with the balrog and they were one less member of the fellowship. Laura had to put his head between his knees and she swore she was going to be sick but managed not to throw up. Nausea and disorentation took over her senses but none more strongly than the feeling of survival. They were alive and that was all that mattered.

"Legolas," said Aragorn "Get them up. We have to get moving."

"Give them a moment for pity's sake." Boromir countered and then turned to Maggie. "He listens to you almost as though you were his mother; tell him that we cannot move yet."

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam." said Aragorn.

Aragorn reached down to Maggie but she angrily shook him off and stood up.

"No!" Maggie snapped "Estel, our friend just died in front of our eyes! We can wait for ten goddamned minutes or you will have to carry on alone! You may be a leader, but you are not yet king! Ten minutes is all I am asking for!"

A moment of silence fell between them and Laura watched as Aragorn nodded and bowed his head as a way to show respect.

"You have ten minutes, Your Majesty." said the ranger

* * *

By the time they were up and running again (literally running), Laura was beginning to feel out of breath but eventually, they came to the entrance of a huge forest. Something about it immediately felt different. Some forests in the UK, like Nottingham, had a similar feeling to it. Something magical and almost otherworldly. The fellowship immediately slowed down their pace but kept a closer eye on their surroundings.

"Stay close...they say a Sorceress lives in these woods." Gimli cautioned "An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell."

Laura thought she would have been used to it by now, all the magic but when she suddenly heard a haunting, soft female voice speaking to her in her mind, Laura couldn't help but to shiver. Welcome Laura Ainsley, said the voice, you who have been chosen by the Valar for this quest. A quest. The question is, will you survive it or will you fall?

Laura snapped out of her thoughts to Gimli's voice and became aware of her surroundings once more

"Well, this is one dwarf she'll not get. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox." Of course he'd spoken too soon because they soon found themselves surrounded by arrows.

"The dwarf breathes so loudly we could have shot him in the dark." said a blonde elf walking towards them. He was strikingly beautiful, but then all elves were.

"Haldir, we need your help." Aragorn explained "We have come here for protection."

"These woods are perilous Aragorn." Gimli protested "We should go back."

"They're elves," said Riley "They're not going to harm us."

At this, Haldir looked up at Riley and raised an eyebrow. If the tension wasn't so awkward, Laura was sure the elf would have laughed. "And what would you know of the habits of elves little one?" he asked curiously

Riley raised an eyebrow and looked at Maggie. "Did he just call me aier? That's supposed to be your nickname Mags but I'm pretty sure he just used it to insult me."

"Oh Ri, really? Not now. Goheno-nin Master Elf, my brother seldom thinks before he speaks." (Forgive me) Maggie said

"You also speak Elvish my Lady and you carry elven jewellery? I am most curious to know why but that will have to wait. The lady of realms is waiting for you. "

* * *

If Dwarrowdelf was impressive, it was nothing compared to Caras Galadhon. The whole forest was a kingdom. Giant staircases spiralled around the enormous tree trunks and it seemed like the elves lived in the trees. As night fell upon Lothlorien, lights of the moons and stars shone through the veils of the tree crowns. It illuminated the whole forest in such a magical, blinding light. It was nothing short of beautiful and Laura was filled with an intense sense of wonder. Nothing was more beautiful than the Lady Galadriel herself. She greeted the Fellowship alongside her husband and seemed to know immediately that something had gone wrong as Gandalf was not with them. Felix made the old "a balrog of Morgoth" joke but was nudged in the side by Nat who deemed it appropriate altogether. Even though Galadriel was kind and gentle in her voice and manners, Laura sensed everyone's apprehension and the Fellowship hardly dared looking at her. The elf-queen told them to not let their hearts be troubled and that they would be allowed to rest in Lothlorien for a few days before carrying on with their journey.

Some time in the night, Laura had given up on sleeping and got the sudden urge to explore. The others were fast asleep around her and as she walked through their camp, she felt almost as though something was pulling her in a certain direction. Eventually, she came to a small clearing and Galadriel was there, as if she had been waiting for her. Strangely enough though, Laura wasn't scared.

"Will you also look into the mirror?" Galadriel asked "You eyes are filled with questions."

"I'm afraid of what I'll see." Laura replied "But I also want to know."

Galadriel poured water in the mirror and Laura glanced into its reflection. At first, she saw nothing but then several images began to appear before her eyes. They showed different things, some of which had already happened. It showed their time in Rivendell and Laura saw images of her and Boromir together. Then, the scenes changed and Laura saw battle unlike anything she had ever seen depicted before. There were horrible cries of pain, the sound of swords clashing against each other and bodies falling dead to the ground. She saw a close up of a pair of lifeless brown eyes but she had no idea who they belonged to. The scenes changed again and Laura was back to her and Boromir. She saw herself running towards him as he picked her up in his arms and spun her around. It almost seemed like they hadn't seen each other for a very long time. Next, she was with the fellowship in a forest swarmed by orcs. She'd lost track of the others and found herself locking eyes with Frodo. Then, Laura saw herself hiking a narrow path up a mountain pass with Frodo and Sam but there was another creature with them. A creature with an ill favored look. There was no sign of the others in this visions and as quickly as they had appeared,

"Are these things that are going to happen to us?" Laura asked "We're all going to split up?"

"Even I cannot truly know what the future holds." Galadriel replies "The mirror shows one of many options of paths for us to take."

Laura knew then that she wasn't meant to follow the others all the way through. She wasn't exactly sure how she knew but her gut instinct told her that the things in the mirror were true.

"My path is with Frodo and Sam." Laura guessed. "I don't like the idea of leaving my friends in this strange world, but I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do."

"We all fear the unknown," Galadriel told her "But as long as we hold true to what is in our heart, our path will be guided by light."

"I'm not sure that makes me feel any better."

Galadriel only smiled in a way that made Laura feel strangely reassured, despite being afraid at the same time.

"You have something else that troubles you." Galadriel guessed "You wonder about your fate with the young Captain of Gondor?"

"I just...I'm not sure if it's wise to pursue something in the middle of all of this or if he even feels the same."

It felt so silly, Laura thought, to ask advice about something so personal and perhaps also unimportant. Galadriel didn't seem to mind though and instead, she gently grabbed Laura's hands and she immediately felt calmer.

"Do not fill your mind with insecurities, child." Galadriel told her "You have captured the heart of the young Captain of Gondor, but time will show if your paths will stay entwined. Go back to sleep now, your heart is still heavy with sorrow."

And for the first time in a while since arriving in Middle-Earth, Laura fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.

To be continued….

Whew, that was a huge chapter with a lot of things going on. I'm sorry if it felt a bit rushed but there's a lot that happens in the movie as well. What did you think of Laura's point of view? I'm trying to flesh out the newbies a little more to get a better idea of what they are like and to get to know them a bit more. Please leave a review!


	6. Parting of Ways

**A/N: **Another chapter! Enjoy!

**SIX **

_Parting of Ways _

_Maggie knew something was strange, because when she opened her eyes she was not in her bed in Lothlorien. She was back in Rivendell and stood in one of the many cozy outdoor areas, overlooking a more secluded part of the gardens. It was a warm autumn morning and a crisp breeze rustled the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, the waterfall roared and Maggie saw Elrond sitting on a divan. He was particularly strikingly gorgeous in the sunlight and the silver robe he wore sparkled in the light. If Maggie's jaw could literally drop, it surely would have by then. _

"_Elrond? Is this real or am I dreaming?" Maggie asked _

"_Just because you are dreaming, it does not make it less real." Elrond replied _

_Elrond reached for Maggie's hand and gently pulled her down so that she sat with both legs across his lap. The elf-lord captured her lips in an eager kiss and a wave of his rushed through her like electricity. As her lover continued to kiss her, Maggie clutched Elrond's robes as her body responded to his kisses by trembling. When they finally broke the kiss and Maggie pulled away, a particularly mischievous and self-gratifying smile tugged at his lips. _

"_You brought me here because you're horny?" Maggie teased "I thought you had more self-control than-"_

_In a fluid movement, Elrond had flipped Maggie over and placed her on the divan. __Maggie's laugh turned into a soft moan as Elrond trailed more kisses below her ear. She closed her eyes, reveling in his touch and whimpered when his soft warmth left you. In the vicinity of her eyes, Maggie noticed they weren't alone and she saw Fili's familiar figure standing a few feet away. She wondered how long he had been standing there. _

"_Hir-nin Elrond," Maggie giggled. "You're making my husband jealous." _

"_Shall we invite him to join us?" Elrond asked with a hint of mischief in his voice "Or do you think he'd like to watch?"_

_"I think I should like to do both." Fili announced "That is, if Her Majesty approves." _

_Maggie responded with a simple nod, feeling both incredibly excited and overwhelmed by the whole situation ._

"_Well, in that case." _

_Elrond turned his attention to Maggie again and dove back to her neck. His touch grew more urgent and possessive. It didn't take long before Maggie was entirely lost in the moment. _

**XXXX**

When Maggie woke up properly, she was once again back in Lothlorien. The early morning rays of sunshine peered through the canopes and despite the horrible events in Moria, she felt well rested. Perhaps, she wondered, there was some kind of healing magic in the forest. As the remaining feeling of sleep left her body and Maggie began to feel more awake, she remembered the events of her dream with Elrond and Fili. She couldn't help but feel a bit spoiled because of Elrond's magical abilities. It wasn't as if Riley could magically transport himself to Rivendell so he could be with Bilbo, if only for a night.

"Just to be clear, you're telling us that you had dream sex?" Nat asked "With Elrond _and _Fili? How is that even possible?"

A few hours later, after they all had breakfast and were beginning to pack up their belongings, Maggie was able to sit down with Laura and Nat. The first thing she noticed was that something seemed to be a little off with Laura and when they asked her, she told them about her meeting with Galadriel. Their friend explained that the Lady of Lorien had asked her to look inside the mirror and when she did, Laura had seen things that might happen. When she got to the part with the breaking of the Fellowship, Maggie's heart sank. She'd almost forgotten that eventually, they would all part ways but she somehow assumed the five of them would stay together. Now that she knew that wasn't the case, the reality of the quest began to sink in. Even though the three of them were all strong women, the idea of Laura trekking through Mordor with Frodo and Sam scared her. That's why at first, she felt a bit silly when they changed the subject, but actually, talking about something more lighthearted made everything a bit easier.

"Because magic?" Maggie guessed. "I know Elrond has it, I sometimes just forget to what extent."

"What was it like?" Laura asked "Did it feel real?"

Maggie leaned back against a giant tree trunk and tried to wrap her head around her experience. Every bit of it had been real and she could clearly recall the tingling sensation she was left.

"It _was _real," Maggie replied "I know it was a dream but it still happened. Here I can prove it."

Maggie pulled down her tunic and showed the two girls a couple of bite marks on her collarbone. Nat and Laura peeked at the blue round circle and giggled.

"Your life is like a literal fairytale." Nat said

Her voice sounded wishful, but from what Maggie could tell, Nat had experienced her own bit of fairytale during the welcome feast. As she opened her mouth and was about to respond, Maggie saw Aragorn in the vicinity of her eyes. Things had been a bit tense between them since Moria and they had not spoken. Maggie excused herself and went to find Aragorn who rolled up his belongings and prepared for the rest of the journey.

"Estel...I mean Aragorn." Maggie said quietly

Aragorn turned to Maggie but didn't reply, so she sat down next to him. She knew that she'd lost her temper before and spoke without considering the words that came out of her mouth. Aragorn was not a child anymore and nor was she his mother, so she had no right to berate him. They were equals and had always been.

"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday." Maggie apologised. "I didn't mean to undermine you and certainly not yell at you. I know you were trying to do the right thing and I was just upset."

"There is nothing to forgive, Maggie." Aragorn assured her. "It has been stressful for all of us and you were looking out for those you care about."

Aragorn placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" Maggie asked "Gandalf was your friend too."

"My heart is heavy with sorrow." Aragorn replied "Yet, I know I must find the strength to carry on. Grief cannot halt the quest for too much relies on it. Gandalf was our leader and now we have none."

Hearing Aragorn speak like a wise old man was strange, seeing as in her eyes, Maggie knew him as a small and mischievous child.

"We have _you_." She told him. "Without Gandalf, the Fellowship will look to you for guidance."

"I fear where this path will take me." Aragorn explained "Long ago, Lord Elrond revealed my heritage and told me of Isildur, the son of your brother Elendil. I know that he is my ancestor and that my place is on the throne of Gondor, yet I am not sure I want it. If I lead the Fellowship, no doubt

"Estel.." Maggie said softly "Even as a child, you only ever wanted to do the right thing. Do you remember that time I was kidnapped? You went out of your way to sneak out of Elrond's House to find me. Even when you were caught, you remained strong because you felt like it was what you needed to do."

Aragorn nodded. "I remember." he said "I also recall how frightened you were and all I could think was how much I hated those men for what they did to you."

"You refused to leave my side for weeks after that."

A silence fell between them for a few moments, but it was a comfortable one.

"I know you are Theo's mother," Aragorn said "But I love you as though you are also mine."

Hearing those words from Aragorn filled Maggie with unspeakable joy and she tried to not cry, yet happy tears still fell from her eyes. "I love you too."

"I heard you had some interesting dreams last night?" Aragorn teased

"Oh for the love of-nothing stays private here."

**XXXX**

"Sit. Still. For God's sake." Boromir winced as Laura cleaned the wounds on his face. The two of them were sitting a bit further away from the rest of the group and Laura found she actually quite liked it. Not that she didn't enjoy the other's company but a little privacy was nice, at least after what they had all been through.

"Women in your world seem to have a way with words. Tell me something, have you always been this polite?" Boromir mused as he stroked a strand of hair out of Laura's face and she found herself blushing a little.

"Do you have a husband?" Boromir asked which caught Laura a bit off guard

"Tell me something, are you always this forward?"

"I'm merely curious."

Laura smiled and washed the cloth in some hot water. "No, I'm not married."

"Betrothed then?"

"Nope. I don't even have a boyfriend these days." Boromir couldn't understand it; surely a woman as beautiful as Laura ought to be married or at least engaged. Had she been in Gondor she would have had trouble choosing but in that aspect, Boromir was glad he had her to himself at least for a little bit. As Laura was about to continue cleaning Boromir's wounds he instead took her hand in his and Laura could swear she felt her heart jumping out of her chest.

And then he kissed her.

**XXXX**

Maggie slept uneasily that night. She kept on twisting and turning and dreamt dreams she could only barely remember by the time she woke up but perhaps that was a good thing. When morning and the Fellowship gathered the rest of their belongings, they were also provided with provisions such food and other things by the elves. Before they set off they were gathered in front of Lady Galadriel by the river. She presented gifts to Boromir, Theo, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the hobbits and then she stood in front of Felix and Natalie.

"To you Felix and Natalie, I give these blades to keep you swift on your feet in times of battle. May them serve you well."

"Elven blades," Felix said, "That certainly beats any Christmas or birthday present I have ever got."

Next, Galadriel moved to Riley and Laura.

"To you Riley, I give you this bow to fend both yourself and others."

"I knew I took archery for a reason." said Riley.

"And you Laura, you need no sword or bow." Galadriel said "I give you this journal; may it bring hope in dark times."

When Galadriel stood in front of Maggie, her heart began to beat faster and she suddenly felt very nervous. Her gaze fell to the ground but Galadriel gently tipped up her head. She gave Maggie a warm smile which somehow made her feel a lot better.

"To you Maragaret, there is no physical gift I can give but I can offer you a glance of something that has long since been on your mind."

Maggie followed the gesture of Galadriel's hand as she invited her to look into the water. At first, she saw nothing but her own reflection but then images began to appear in the water like memories of a time long ago. She saw Theo as a baby being held by Lord Elrond as he tried to sooth him and stop him from crying. Next she saw a young Theo, perhaps three or four years old running across the grass while playing a game of tag with Estel. Then, Theo ran straight into the arms of Fili who picked him and spun him around as though he was his own son. The next few scenes were various stages of Theo's childhood and his life in Rivendell. From what Maggie could tell, it was a happy childhood filled with love and adventure. One scene in particular caught Maggie's attention. Her father sat on Theo's bed one night when he must have been in his early teens. Her father showed him Riley's old iPhone and Theo seemed to be mesmerised by the strange contraption. Amandil showed his grandson photographs of Maggie and Riley and then gave the phone to Theo. Almost every night since, Theo would look at pictures of Maggie on the phone and keep it treasured. As he grew older, Theo travelled with Aragorn and they seemed to have shared in a few adventures but he always came back to Rivendell where he was greeted with love.

As the images faded and all she saw in the water was her own reflection, Maggie realised she was crying. She knew Theo had seen the images as well because as his eyes met hers, she could tell that he too had been crying. She thanked Galadrield but Maggie also knew that no words of thanks could possibly explain what it was like to actually see the life her son had had without her. Above all she felt relief, knowing that Theo was happy in her absences and that he had been raised well by Fili, Elrond and her father.

Maggie sat in silence for most of the journey across the river, her mind occupied by many things. After a few hours of paddling, they finally pulled into shore and began to set up camp for the night.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot." Aragorn said "We approach Mordor from the North."

"Oh, yes," Gimli was neither impressed nor looking forward to the particular chosen path. "It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that it gets even better...a festering, stinking marshland, far as the eye can see."

"It can't be that bad?" Nat asked "Can it?"

"That is our road…" Aragorn said "I suggest you take your rest Master Dwarf and recover your strength." Aragorn added

"Recover my—"

"It isn't the Eastern shore that worries me." Legolas told them. Maggie could sense that he'd been feeling uneasy for quite a long while now. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."

"Speaking of worrying….where's Frodo?" Maggie asked as she looked around and realised that the ringbearer wasn't there.

**XXXX**

Laura thought she was the one who found Frodo first, but it was Boromir who did. She stayed hidden behind a tree and watched the scene play out in front of her. Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure what to do or how to react. The way Boromir was acting was completely different from how he usually was, especially with her. She didn't really dare interrupting them but at the same time she couldn't just stand by in case Boromir actually did hurt Frodo. Other than Boromir, out of all the members of the Fellowship it was Frodo she felt like she had connected with; at least in terms of friendship and she was pretty sure he thought the same way of her. Then suddenly, something happened Laura didn't expect – Frodo disappeared and Boromir called out to him desperately asking for forgiveness and then when he was out of sight Laura saw Frodo appear again on a set of stone tables not too far away. She also saw that Aragorn had also found them.

"Frodo." Aragorn had caught up with him and the hobbit jumped and seemed to shy away from Aragorn.

"Stay away!" Frodo warned, with fear in his voice.

"Frodo!" Laura called out as she ran out from behind the trees. "It's just Aragorn." she told him and the Ring Bearer looked at them sceptically .

"Frodo, I swore to protect you." Aragorn told him

"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo asked

"I would have gone with you to the end, to the very fires of Mordor." Aragorn turned to Laura and she knew then what she had to do. She didn't want to leave the others, her friends but she knew that this was her part in the quest. It was what she was meant to do and when Laura turned to Frodo she could see that he also knew.

"I have to go too don't I?" she said and then looked at Aragorn "Will you look after the others?"

"Especially Sam," Frodo added "He won't understand."

"Frodo…." Laura gestured towards his blade which was glowing blue and that only meant one thing. Orcs.

Aragorn nodded. "You have my word. Quickly now; run."

**XXXX**

So much had happened over a short amount of time and Riley's head was spinning. They were in danger and they needed to find a way out quickly. Yet Riley's first instinct was to protect Merry and Pippin, rather than himself.

"Riley! Look! It's Frodo and Laura!" Merry was right. Riley saw Laura and Frodo running fast as they could down the slope towards the sea. When he heard heavy footsteps approaching them Riley grabbed the two hobbits and they hid behind a tree. Frodo had heard them and when the ringbearer turned around and met their eyes, Riley, Merry and Pippin all knew what it meant.

"They're leaving." Riley said and there was nothing they could do to change that. They could only help them and so when the orcs finally swarmed the place Riley and the hobbit all got the same idea. Once they came out of their hiding place the orcs caught their attention and Frodo and Laura could make their escape.

"Hey!" Riley shouted as one of the orcs was about to attack Pippin from behind. "Don't you touch them!" It turned around to him and Riley got ready to fire his arrow but before he got the chance to do so, Boromir appeared from out of nowhere in front of him and cut down the orc in front of Riley.

"Protect the halflings!" Boromir called to Riley "Go!" Before Riley knew it the three of them were all grabbed and picked up by the orcs who marched away with them and there was nothing they could do. The last thing Riley saw before the carried them out of sight was Boromir fighting off the orcs single-handedly.

**XXXX**

By the time Nat, Maggie and Felix finally found Aragorn again the woods were swarmed with orcs and once again they found themselves in battle. The adrenaline soon kicked in and Nat cut the head off an orc and when the next closed up on Maggie, Nat stabbed it and the creature fell dead on the ground. She'd always been the one in the group who enjoyed adventure sports, but combating fantasy creatures was a new experience altogether. Still, the thrill remained the same.

"Maggie!" she called out and helped up her friend.

"Shit me that was close." Maggie said. Something then caught their attention; the sound of a horn blowing in the distance.

"That's Boromir's horn." said Aragorn and they all dashed off through the woods hurrying off in the direction of the sound, killing off as many orcs along the way as possible. When they finally saw Boromir he was laid against a tree with three arrows in his chest and they rushed up towards him.

"Boromir!"

"They took the little ones….and Riley." Boromir's voice was weak and his leg was bleeding. _What? _Maggie thought, _Riley's gone?_

Aragorn immediately began to bind Boromir's wound and chanted words in elvish but Maggie couldn't understand what was happening. She knew the Fellowship of the Ring very well, both movies and book. The one thing that remained a constant factor was the death of Boromir. His death is what drove the Fellowship forward. It was probably the most significant event in the whole timeline and yet somehow, things had changed. The prophecy had been very clear; one of them was going to die and Maggie just assumed that it would be Boromir because that was the way it always was, yet that is not what had happened.

Boromir was alive.

**XXXX**

"I have to admit something." Laura said as Frodo pushed the boat into the water.

"What?" he asked

"I'm terrified." When Frodo climbed iside the boat he looked at Laura and took her hand.

"So am I," he told her "But we have each other."

They did have each other, Laura knew, but she was also alone. Things had taken a very drastic turn and she wasn't sure how to comprehend those feelings. Something told her it would be a very long time before she saw her friends again and that terrified her.

"Mr. Frodo!" Frodo and Laura turned around to Sam who was running towards them, desperately trying to catch up with them and waded through the water.

"Go back Sam! You can't swim!" but Sam didn't listen and when Laura realised that he was going to drown she screamed and Frodo reached into the water, luckily grabbing Sam's arm and pulled him up onto the boat in time.

"What were you thinking?!" Laura asked as she was crying

"I made a promise Mr. Frodo. A promise. 'Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee' and I don't mean to, I don't mean to."

Laura threw her arms around Sam and hugged the blonde hobbits as they kept crying. Sam's loyalty and devotion to Frodo was unlike any other friendship she'd seen. She knew in that moment that no matter what happened, they would be alright because Samwise Gamgee was with them.

**XXXX**

By nightfall, all orcs were either dead or had evacuated the area. Boromir's wounds were patched up were Aragorn, who seemed to think he would heal within a few days but it would be painful for some time. The fact that Boromir was alive, by some miracle, worried Maggie and as she pulled Felix and Nat aside, she already knew they had the same concern. During her journey with the dwarves, it became clear that their presence had affected and changed the original timeline but this was a completely different level than before. It was worrisome because it meant nothing was certain anymore. They couldn't rely on their knowledge of the books to navigate through the rest of the journey. They were literally going in blind and it was unsettling. One part of Maggie was of course happy that Boromir was alive, because it meant that Laura would have a real chance at happiness with him. The uncertainty of everything made Maggie feel nauseated and a familiar sharp panic formed inside her. The same thoughts kept repeating over and over in her mind.

Riley was taken.

Laura was somewhere with Frodo and Sam.

Would they see each other again? Was that the last time she'd spoken to her brother.

Riley was gone.

"Mother." Theo crouched in front of Maggie and gently put his hands on either side of her face. "_Naneth. _Look at me. Cousin Fee told me this sometimes happens, but you will be fine."

Theo gently stroked Maggie's hair and rested his forehead against hers, while he whispered words in Khuzdul she could not understand. After a while, she began to feel calmer and Theo helped her back up on her feet.

"What are we going to do now?" Nat asked

"I will not abandon Merry, Riley and Pippin to torment and death." Aragorn said and then a glint of determination showed in his eyes. "Let us hunt some orc."

"Ah," said Felix and sighed "This means we're gonna have to run again doesn't it?"

_**To be continued…..**_

_**Another chapter done! Lots happened here but I always forget that the end of FOTR is very much all over the place. Boromir lives! But the prophecy says someone is definitely going to die so who is it? We also got some cute Maggie/Theo and Maggie/Aragorn bonding moments. What did you guys think? Please let me know **_


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